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INSTRUCTION MANUAL

GUNSHIP 2000
Computer Simulation
MicroProse Software

All Rights reserved

Copyright 1991 by MicroProse Software Inc.
This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part by any means without permission,
with the exception of quoting brief passages for the purpose of review.

Gunship 2000 is MicroProse Softwares trademark for its simulation of Helicopter Combat
IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines, Inc.
Apple and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
Tandy is a registered trademark of Tandy Corporation
AdLib is a registered trademark of AdLib Incorporated
Roland MT-32 is a registered trademark of RolandCorp, USA.

CREDITS
GAME DESIGN
James M. Day
with Darrell Dennies
& Detmar Peterke
PROGRAMMING
Darrell Dennies
Detmar Peterke
TOPOGRAPHICAL 3-D
CONCEPT/PROGRAMMING
Darrell Dennies
ANIMATION TOOLS
David McKibbin
ART CONCEPT/DESIGN
Michael Reis
WORLD GRAPHICS
James M. Day
3-D GRAPHICS
Max Remington III

EGA GRAPHICS
Michael Reis
Brain Martel
Patrick Downey
Harry Teasley
ORIGINAL MUSIC COMPOSITIONS
Jeffery L. Briggs
SOUND AND MUSIC
PROGRAMMING
Ken Lagace
Jim McConkey
Scott Patterson
DOCUMENTATION
James M. Day
SUPPORT DOCUMENTATION
Sean M. Gallagher
EDITORS
Merry L. Day
B. C. Milligan
PRINT MEDIA DIRECTOR
Iris Idokogi

GRAPHICS
Cheri Glover Phipps
Juanita Bussard
George Gill
LAYOUT
Michael Smith
Iris Idokogi
Susan Ullrich
CHAPTER HEAD ILLUSTRATIONS
Stuart Stein
QUALITY ASSURANCE
Al Roireau
Chris Taormino
Quentin Chaney
Rob Snodgrass
Anne Whatley
Dave Shaefer
Doug Whatley
Nick Yuran
PACKAGE DESIGN
Moshe Milich
Jack Kammer

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Colonel George H. Stinnett, Chief Policies and Plans, Department of the Army,
Washington, D.C.
Major David A. Bartlett, U.S. Marines, NAVAIRSYSCOM
Kenneth Holder and William Hayes, U.S. Army PAO, Fort Rucker, Alabama
Gunnery Sergeant Steven Szewczyk, U.S. Marines, NAVAIR CH/MH53E
Robert Finkenbiner, Air Defense Systems Division, General Dynamics Corporation
Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc.
McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Company
Sikorsky Aircraft, Inc.
Andy Hollis, Sid Meier and Arnold Hendrick - for developing the original Gunship;
it provided the driving spirit.

INTRODUCTION
THE MISSION
All around you in the TOC sit the other squadron flight commanders; tension covers
the area like a blanket. As you rip open your orders, the anticipation grabs at your gut,
but you already know the score. No breaks here; your flight always pulls the tough
assignments. Another SEAD mission deep into enemy territory. Those fast movers need
you to clear the way again. Doesnt the TF know that your luck cant hold out forever?
Sure, your success rate is the highest in the squadron, but...
You gaze at the mission map. The primary is 20 klicks behind enemy lines - they
must be kidding. Your boys best be sharp tonight. Better get over to the armorers tent.
At least youll get first choice on ordnance; being number one does have benefits. Apaches
and Kiowa Warriors are on tap tonight. Plenty of Hellfires and Mark 261 MPSM rockets
to go round. No need for any AA loads this trip. Is the opposition the only one smart
enough not to fly during these conditions? The S2 better be right on this one.
You climb into the rear seat of your Apache. Youve never quite understood the
feeling, but the closeness and tight fit is somehow comforting. You pre-flight the cockpit
switches. You could run through this in your sleep, but SOP says otherwise - everything
must be by the book. As you light off the APU your CP/G gives the thumbs-up. The other
four pilots in the flight are looking to you for the sign. Although its pitch black, you can
still read the concern on their faces; but, theyre good to go. Time to get these birds
airborne. You key the commo switch, Windem up!
...Three-quarters of the way there and no sightings. Just a milk run so far; lady luck
must still be along for the ride. This is too good to last. Youre getting a bit green-eyed from
the glow of the FLIRs eyepiece, but without it youd quickly get close and personal with
some unforeseen hillside. Skimming the tree tops at 120 knots is quite a rush, but any
kind of altitude spells nothing but bad news.

The MFD indicates that waypoint 3 is just ahead; time to to assume attack positions.
Captain Arthur in Zulu-4 will lead the light section; as usual, the heavy section is with
you - Zulu-1. Your call goes out, Light section break right, heavy section left on me,
weapons free. Roger, breaking now, replies Zulu-4.
The APR-39 is starting to chirp, and those blips on the threat display definitely arent
friendlies. Jack, select MPSM, you call to your front-seater over the ICS. All units,
prepare to unmask. Engage as they bear.
As you come up, the TADS paints a pretty picture of the target. There they are, big
as you please - SA-13s and Zoos. But this is no time to admire the scenery, theres work
to be done. Targets bearing 335! , calls Jack, not all too calmly. Weapons in
constraints, MPSM away! you respond with equal gusto.
The rocket sub-munitions burst on the target with a tremendous white flash,
followed by a series of secondary explosions. Those guys are toast! you hear Jack call
out to no one in particular. So much for radio integrity.
Youve certainly got their attention now. The threat display is going wild; enemy units
are popping up at every clock position. The APRs radar warning indicator light turns a
solid, glaring red as the klaxon blares in your headset. Youre being tracked!
Jammer active, chaff out! Peg him, Jack! you call out while quickly pushing the
Apache down and to the right. You glance over just as the enemy missile explodes
harmlessly in the chaff cloud. Im on him. Switching to Hellfire, Jack responds. A short
flash, and the Hellfire reaches out to find its target. Jacks head is glued to his display.
Hell keep the target locked in the sight until the Hellfire impacts. A bright light blooms
off to the left as the target evaporates from view. Scratch another one!
The ground explodes as rockets and Hellfires slam into the hapless targets. You
know that its only a matter of time. Theres no hope for those guys; the surprise was too
perfect.
Minutes later, not a single target is active. And, a good thing too as youve expended
most of your ordnance. Its time to pull pitch and head for home. Zulus, form on me. Lets
get out of here. Well done!
Back at the TOC you and the other flight commanders are preparing for the debrief.
As you sit and wait your turn, a smile slowly cracks across your face - just another
success-ful mission.
You knew it all the time.

OVERVIEW
Gunship 2000 is a detailed presentation of the art of present and near future
helicopter combat operations. You can control just one or up to five distinct helicopters.
The current and planned versions of the most prevalent U.S. Army helicopters are
available for the choosing. Not just a bystander, you actually pilot one of the Armys top
helicopters.
You start out as a Warrant Officer Candidate (WOC) at the Army Aviation Center,
Fort Rucker, Alabama. Here you select your squadron and provide its nickname. More
importantly, you get the necessary training to prepare you for the difficult challenge of
helicopter combat. You determine the reality or difficulty of the training. It can be as
simple or as hard as you desire; the advantage here, you can take your time and cant
be damaged. Plus, you can return to training at any time to brush up on your skills.
Upon completion, you are promoted to Warrant Officer (W01), and move on to Single
Helicopter Missions. Here you command and fly a single helicopter, in one of two theaters,
against opposing forces in a variety of missions. The rank of a commissioned officer
awaits your success; and upon receiving your commission, the door opens to the endless
variety and challenge of Flight and Campaign Missions.
In the Flight Missions you are not only an active member of, but command a flight
of five helicopters. You determine the mix of helicopters and ordnance necessary to
complete the mission. How well you employ your own helicopter, plus command the other
four helicopters determines the success or failure of the mission.
The Campaign Mission places you in a situation of continuous combat where
mission after mission is thrown at you and your flight. While you cant win the campaign
on your own, your success (or failure) does have an impact on its ultimate outcome.
Gunship 2000 offers all the thrill and excitement of modern helicopter combat in a
visually accurate world of Topographical 3-D. Promotion, decorations and glory await
you!

HOW TO START

SORTING THE
MATERIALS

This Manual provides a tutorial for beginners, in-depth operating instructions, and
a wide variety of tactical, historical and technical background.
The Technical Supplement provides specific instructions for the installation and/
or loading of this simulation on your computer. It also acts as a complete reference guide
for all of the graphics and keys used in the simulation.
The Keyboard Overlay(s) visually represents all of the controls and orders
necessary for the operation of your helicopter and the computer itself.

INSTALLATION/
LOADING

The Technical Supplement provides complete instructions about how to install

Gunship 2000 onto a hard disk. See the Installation section for details.
In addition, the Loading section provides instructions for starting up the simulation. Youll be provided the opportunity to tailor the software to your system, specifically
the controller type and sound options. If you have a joystick, we strongly recommend its
use. However, its not required - the entire simulation can be controlled from the
keyboard.

LEARNING THE
SIMULATION

The first step is to become acquainted with actual helicopter flight systems. Read
through The Helicopter. In this section, the theory and practical application of
helicopter flight is discussed. Those unfamiliar with any type of flight or familiar only with
fixed-wing flight will find the information quite beneficial. With this information in hand,
you are ready to proceed to the tutorial.

1. TUTORIAL
This tutorial enables you to strap on the seat of a helicopter and begin flying without
digesting the entire manual. However, it neither provides you with the necessary insight
to skillfully utilize the various weapon systems available, nor details the multiple
helicopter operations. It familiarizes you with the basic controls and systems of the AH64A Apache Gunship in a simple training flight against simulated opposing forces.

GETTING STARTED
INSTALLATION/LOADING
Controls Chart
For compatibility across a wide variety of computers
and control mechanisms, standard terms are used
throughout. See the Technical Supplement and Keyboard overlay to interpret each for your computer.
Controller: A two-dimensional control device normally a joystick or the four-directional keys.
Selector #1: The first (left) button on a joystick. On
the keyboard its the Return or Enter key.
Selector #2: The second (right) button on a joystick.
On the keyboard its the Backspace key.
Keys: Each is referred to by an italicized name,
which is shown on the keyboard overlay. In addition, a
master list of names and keys for your computer is
provided in the Technical Supplement.

See the Technical Supplement for specific instructions for the installation, loading and configuration of this simulation on
your computer.

WHERE YOU START

After the title sequence, youll find
yourself at brigade headquarters. Various
action areas are placed at positions around
this screen. These action areas are accessed to select the various options available at brigade headquarters.
To select an option, use the controller
to position the cursor over the desired
action area. When an action area is
accessed, the cursor changes shape to a
bulls-eye and the options title is displayed at
the bottom of the screen. Pressing Selector #1
selects that option.

DUTY ROSTER

As a new pilot, your first step is to get your name up on the Duty Roster. As part of
this process, you also have the opportunity to select your squadron unit insignia and its
nickname.
Position the cursor over the duty roster hanging on the back wall and press Selector
#1. The Duty Roster screen now appears.
By positioning the cursor over any one of the six pilots, a detailed accounting of the flight
commander and flight members, if any, is displayed in the top section. For now, you just want
to get your name on the Duty Roster.
Position the cursor over the Erase Me pilot and press Selector #2; then follow the
instructions to enter your name and select your squadron and its nickname. Leave the cursor
positioned over your new pilot (the corresponding data should be displayed in the top section)
and press Selector #1. This selects that pilot and returns you to the brigade headquarters
screen.
Notice that your pilots name and unit are now listed at the top of the Duty Roster.

TYPE OF FLIGHT

Now position the cursor over the duty officers desk (he is sitting in the foreground)
and press Selector #1. The Type of Flight screen now appears.
Since youre in training, position the cursor over the Training and press Selector
#1. This places you in the training mode and returns you to the brigade headquarters
screen.
Notice that the duty officer is now holding an envelope marked Training; this
envelope contains your orders for this training mission.

THEATER OF DUTY

Now position the cursor over the world map located on the right wall and press
Selector #1. The Theater of Duty screen now appears.
There are simulated training sites available for either of the two theaters - The
Persian Gulf and Central Europe. Select the Persian Gulf (you will eventually want to fly
training missions in both theaters) by positioning the cursor in the box outlining the
theater and pressing Selector #1. You now return to the brigade headquarters screen;
notice that the Persian Gulf theater is outlined on the world map.

MISSION BRIEFING

You are now ready to start the training flight. Position the cursor over the door
marked Exit and press Selector #1. The Briefing screen now appears.
Its time to familiarize yourself with the Mission Orders. As you look out at the TF
Commander, the top page of your Mission Orders is just visible at the bottom of the
screen. Position the cursor on the page and press Selector #1. You are now looking down
at the top page.
Since this is a training mission, some of the data is in abbreviated form; however note
two important areas.
First, are the Primary Mission and Secondary Missions. Review the type or nature
of the missions. Additionally, the position of your base and FARP also indicated.
Second, position the cursor anywhere on the page and press Selector #1. The next
page appears. This lists the support data about flight conditions and the S2s intelligence
report.

Please note that the map coordinates are read military fashion, right & up. The first
number listed is on the horizontal scale, and the second on the vertical scale. For
example, 00/16 is in the upper left corner. Remember that maps are never 100%
accurate. This is especially true when sighting mobile units.
Position the cursor anywhere on the page and press Selector #1. The mission map
appears. This map indicates the relative positions of the different Primary Missions (P),
your base (B) and FARP (F). Additionally, the map details the major terrain features and
other areas of interest.
To review the Mission Orders, you may sequentially leaf through the pages any
number of times. After review, position the cursor over the envelope and press Selector
#1. The Briefing Screen now appears.
For this flight lets go with the armorers recommended weapon load and begin the
mission. Position the cursor over the map and press Selector #1. The Cockpit Switches now
appear.
COCKPIT SWITCHES

When Gunship 2000 is first installed, all of the switches are set at the lowest difficulty
levels. Lets leave them that way for this flight. By positioning the cursor over a switch,
a brief description of its function appears in the Data Display at the upper right.
Located in the center of the screen is the GPS Console. Position the cursor over this
area; the Data Display describes the Consoles function and then displays the GPS
Cipher.
Youre shown a Squadron Insignia along with a five digit number. These insignia and
numbers are found between of this manual. Find the corresponding five digit Authenticator Code, and enter this number by pressing the appropriate numeric keys.
If the correct code is entered, the GPS Console displays Signal Locked. Youre now
ready to start the mission.
If you cant find the correct code, you can still fly the mission, but the on-board GPS
Map is disabled along with your weapons. Basically, youre on a sightseeing tour, but at
least the view is breathtaking.
Now position the cursor over the Aux Power Unit switch. This switch starts the
helicopters engines, which begins the mission. It has a safety cover so that it wont be
inadvertently activated. Press Selector #1, and the safety cover flips up. Press Selector #1
again, and the power winds-up - your mission begins!

AT THE
CONTROLS

Now youre on the ground at your base, at the controls of an AH-64A Apache. You
have a pilots eye view of the world as you look out over the cockpit gauges and indicators.
The following is an abridged version of the flight controls; itll get you started in your first
helicopter flight (for a detailed description of the flight and cockpit controls.
You start the training mission by taking off from your base, and end it by landing
back at your base.

GETTING AIRBORNE

At this point, its a good idea to locate the pause (alt p) key. The frustration factor
is much reduced if you pause the flight, read a section, perform the actions, pause again
and read on further.
Your engines are already on line (the APU provided the necessary power to fire them
up). Now engage the rotor; press the Rotor Engage/Disengage (9) key. The rotor indicator
light turns from red to green, and the rotor starts to rotate.
Vertical movement is controlled by the Collective. Press the Collective Up Fast (Shift
=) key a few times until the Apache starts to gain lift. When the altitude reaches
approximately 200 feet, press the Collective Down (-)key to stabilize the lift.
Horizontal movement is controlled by the Cyclic. To move forward, push the Joystick
(up arrow) forward. You now start to gain speed. By pushing the Joystick fully forward,
the maximum speed for that altitude is attained. The Joystick need not be kept in a
forward position to maintain forward flight; its self trimming when centered.
Next push the Joystick (right arrow) slightly to the right. You bank and turn to the
right. If you do the opposite, you bank and turn to the left.

MAP VIEW

Press the Map View (F10) key; the GPS map now appears. Dont worry, your Apache
doesnt crash while youre viewing the map - the action is suspended.
The GPS map displays the entire world in which youre flying. Notice that it matches
the map you reviewed in your Mission Orders. Your Apache is positioned in the center
of the map, and the Primary Objective is just to the north.
Lets use the Apaches INS System to navigate to the target.
Press the F key to select the Fly To command. Position the cursor over the Primary
Objective, and press Selector #1 followed by the Selector #2. This enters that position into
the INS System.
You can check the map at any time during a flight to verify positions. For now, press
the Selector #1 to return to the cockpit view.
The heading for the Primary Mission is displayed in the INS Indicator. More than
likely, your true heading is different from the INS heading. Bank the Apache towards the
INS heading indicator until the two heading numbers match. This new heading will take
you to the Primary Mission for gunnery practice.

WEAPON SELECTION

Your Weapons Indicator (located at the lower left) should display Cannon; if not,
press the Ordnance Select (space bar) key until it displays Cannon. Youve now selected
the Apaches M230 30mm Chaingun. It has a max range of 1,500 meters, but its optimum
range is 700 meters dead ahead and half that for a deflection shot to the side.

TARGETING

Before you can fire at an opposing unit, the TADS must be locked onto the target.
Look at the Threat Display (its located in the lower right hand corner). If youre flying in
the correct direction, there should be a red dot directly ahead. If not, adjust your flight
path. Check the map to verify the placement of your waypoint.

The TADS should be locked onto the target, a BTR-60 APC (the Primary Mission). Its
displayed, along with its identification, true heading and range data, in the MFD (located
in the center of the cockpit). If the TADS isnt locked onto the target, press the Acquire/
Next Target (selector #2) key.
When locked, a Target Diamond appears in your view along with the Reticle Ring.
The Target Diamond indicates the exact position and heading to the BTR-60. The Reticle
Ring is the aiming point of the cannon. To hit the target, the Reticle Ring must be
superimposed over the Target Diamond. Adjust your flight path if necessary. When
superimposed, the Diamond changes to a broken box.
TAKING THE SHOT

When the BTR-60 enters maximum range for the cannon, the Target Box changes
from a broken box to a solid. This indicates that the selected weapon (the M230 cannon
in this case) is now in constraints.
Keep the Target Box centered in the Reticle Ring, and let the range decrease. As the
range decreases the Reticle Ring increases in size, indicating an increase in weapon
accuracy. As you gain experience, you will eventually be able to determine weapon
accuracy just from the size of the Reticle Ring.
When the range reaches about 1000 meters, open fire by pressing Selector #1. You
dont have to aim the M230 as it automatically tracks the target as long as the Reticle Ring
is superimposed over the Target Box. After a few rounds, the BTR-60 is knocked out;
youll see its telltale explosion in the distance.

RETURN TO BASE

Well thats probably enough action for this flight; lets return to base. Select the Map
View, and set the INS System for a heading to the base.
Fly the Apache to a position directly over the base. When in position, pull back on
the cyclic and allow your speed to drop to zero. Now press the Collective Down (-) key to
start a slow descent on to the base. Its of no consequence if your descent is too fast, you
cant crash on this flight. Perfect landings only come with practice.
Upon touchdown, press the Rotor Engage/Disengage (9) key (the indicator light now
changes from green to red), and the rotor slows to a stop. Answer "y" to "call it a day". This
training flight is now at an end.
Good luck on your future flights!

2. OPERATING
INSTRUCTIONS
PREPARE FOR FLIGHT
INSTALLATION/
LOADING
MAKING
SELECTIONS

Controls Chart

See the Technical Supplement for specific instructions for the installation, loading
and configuration of this simulation on your computer.
Gunship 2000 provides for a large number of game options. These are presented in
various screens in the form of action areas or in a menu format.
When a screen first appears, the cursor will be positioned on the screen or over a
menu selection. You move the cursor or change the menu selection by using the
Controller. Once positioned over the desired option, its selected by pressing Selector #1.

For compatibility across a wide variety of computers

and control mechanisms, standard terms are used
throughout. See the Technical Supplement and Keyboard overlay to interpret each for your computer.
Controller: A two-dimensional control device normally a joystick or the four-directional keys.
Selector #1: The first (left) button on a joystick. On
the keyboard its the Return or Enter key.
Selector #2: The second (right) button on a joystick.
On the keyboard its the Backspace key.
Keys: Each is referred to by an italicized name,
which is shown on the keyboard overlay. In addition, a
master list of names and keys for your computer is
provided in the Technical Supplement.

10

USING A JOYSTICK
If your controller is a joystick, moving
the stick up or down moves the cursor
vertically; moving the stick left or right
moves the cursor horizontally. Vertical and
horizontal movement can be combined.
USING THE KEYBOARD
If your controller is the keyboard, then
any Arrow key moves the cursor to the
nearest option; the tab key moves the
cursor to the next option; the shift Tab key
moves the cursor to the previous option;
the Home key moves the cursor to the top
of menus; and the End key moves the
cursor to the bottom of menu listings. The
keyboard can be utilized in conjunction
with a joystick.

ACTION AREAS

Most options are accessed via action areas. These are placed at various positions
around the different screens. However, in some cases, menus are utilized where lists of
data options are more functional.
To select an option, use the controller to position the cursor over the desired action
area. When an action area is accessed, the cursor changes shape from an arrow to a bullseye and the options title displays at the bottom of the screen. Pressing Selector #1 then selects
that option. Menu options are selected in a similar manner; the selected option is highlighted.
Whenever an option is selected in error, pressing the esc key cancels the selection.

BRIGADE HQ

All action begins at Brigade Headquarters, located at your home base. From this
screen, the selections are made that determine the nature of your upcoming mission(s).
There are six action areas located at various positions around the screen, and these
are accessed to make the various mission selections.

DUTY ROSTER

Position the cursor over the Duty Roster hanging on the back wall and press Selector
#1.
The duty roster is utilized to post the name of an active pilot, and flight members,
if any, for the upcoming mission. The name of the posted, or active pilot always displays
at the top of the Duty Roster.

What does it all mean: The Duty Roster is a detailed summary of a pilots
Base Screen

career and the careers of his flight members, if he is also

a flight commander. By positioning the cursor over any
one of the six pilots, that pilot is posted and a detailed
accounting of the pilot and flight members then displays
in the top section.
The pilots name, rank, squadron insignia, squadron
nickname, decorations awarded (numerals indicate multiple awards), missions and campaigns flown and career
score(s) display. If the pilot is a flight commander, the
flight members are also listed along with their name, rank
and decorations.
Ranks: Throughout a career, a pilot, including
flight members, can advance though the ranks from
Warrant Officer Candidate all the way up to Brigadier
General. Ranks are indicated by a military abbreviation
or by the actual rank insignia.
The military abbreviations correspond to the following ranks in order of achievement:
WOC: Warrant Officer Candidate
W01: Warrant Officer, W-1
CW2: Chief Warrant Officer, W-2
CW3: Chief Warrant Officer, W-3

11

Roster Screen

CW4: Chief Warrant Officer, W-4

2LT: Second Lieutenant
1LT: First Lieutenant
CAP: Captain
MAJ: Major
LTC: Lieutenant Colonel
COL: Colonel
BG: Brigadier General

Decorations: For exemplary service, a pilot, including flight members, are awarded decorations up to
and including the Congressional Medal of Honor. Decorations are displayed by an abbreviation and by the actual
medal.
The abbreviations correspond to the following decorations:
NDS: The National Defense Service Medal - awarded for
successfully completing training.
PH: The Purple Heart - awarded for wounds received in combat.
The following decorations are awarded for heroism and
valor, and are listed from least difficult to achieve to the
highest:
ACV: The Army Commendation Medal for Valor
AMV: The Air Medal for Valor
BSV: The Bronze Star for Valor
SS: The Silver Star
DSC: The Distinguished Service Cross
CMOH: The Congressional Medal of Honor

Career Records: There are three numerical values that summarize a pilots
career records. They represent, from left to right, last mission, best mission and total
career.
Status: Pilots, and consequently their flight members, are classified by the
current flight status. Only Active pilots can be posted for duty.
Active: Currently on active duty and good to go. You can have up to six Active
pilots on the Duty Roster.
Retired: If you are successful enough to achieve the rank of Brigadier General, your
country will ask no more of you. Theres no more flying for you, and youll be posted to
a cushy desk job at the Pentagon.

12

However, if youve flown 50 missions without achieving the rank of Brigadier

General, and very few do, youll be retired from combat and posted to the Army Aviation
Center at Ft. Rucker, Alabama as a pilot instructor.
MIA: If your helicopter goes down behind enemy lines, theres a chance youll be lost
or captured. As a result, youll be classified as Missing in Action.
KIA: If your helicopter suffers a catastrophic crash theres a chance you wont walk
away from it. As a result, youll be classified as Killed in Action.

Campaigns: If your pilot and flight are currently engaged in a campaign, that
information is displayed. Campaigns must be resolved before any other mission (except
training) can be flown.
New Pilot: If you are creating a new pilot, you must permanently erase an existing
pilot from the Duty Roster; so be careful who you select for erasure. An Erase Me pilot
has been provided for your first entry.
Position the cursor over the Erase Me pilot and press Selector #2; follow the
instructions to enter your name and select your squadron insignia and its nickname.
Notice that your pilots name and unit are now listed at the top of the Duty Roster. All
new pilots start out at the rank of WOC.
Leave the cursor positioned over your new pilot (the corresponding data is displayed
in the top section) and press Selector #1.
Existing Pilot: If you dont want to create a new pilot and want to continue the
career of an Active pilot, position the cursor over that pilot and press Selector #1.
TYPE OF FLIGHT

Position the cursor over the duty officers desk (he is sitting in the foreground) and
press Selector #1.
The open folder displays the available mission options:

Training: These missions are conducted at the training center, and are constructed to simulate the Theaters of Duty. The opposing forces are always positioned in
the same manner so that various weapons and tactics can be tested.
Training missions simulate all helicopter operations with the following exceptions:
No Damage: You cant be hurt, as all of the opposing shots are simulated, and you
walk away from all crash landings. However, the opposing weapons do behave normally,
so you can still practice defensive measures.
Career Record: The Training mission does not count as a mission flown; you dont
receive any score, promotion or decorations for heroism and valor.
Training missions can be flown at any time during a pilots career, and, in fact, are
the only alternative mission type that can be selected if a pilot is currently engaged in a
Campaign. New pilots are not required to select Training, but if you do, at least youll
receive quick promotion to W01 and the NDS medal.

13

Single Helicopter: These missions send you out in a single helicopter against
a real opposing force. While any pilot can fly these missions, pilots of any Warrant Officer
rank are limited to Single Helicopter Missions.
During Single Helicopter missions, youre assigned a Primary, and more than likely,
a Secondary mission. These missions can either be Point Attack or Search & Destroy.
Point Attack: Youre directed to a specific target or targets with the objective to
eliminate the targets.
Search & Destroy: The specific location of the targets is unknown or the targets are
moving. You need to search the area described in your orders to find the target units with
the objective to eliminate them.
Flight: Once you have received your commission (ranks of Second Lieutenant and
above), you are then eligible to command a multiple- helicopter flight. The other pilots in
your flight are assigned to you from the force pool, and stay with for the duration.
As with Single Helicopter missions, youre assigned overall missions. The missions
include the two described above plus Deep Strike, Tactical Support, Search & Rescue and
Recon.
Deep Strike: Youre directed to a target or targets deep in enemy territory, far from
your home base. We take care of getting you to the passage point, but you must take
it from there.
Tactical Support: Youre called upon to pick-up or deliver troops or supplies to the
battle area. There may also be wounded in need of immediate evacuation. While these
beans and bullets missions may seem less sexy, they are none the less important.
Besides, you may have to fight your way in and out. A UH-60K/L Blackhawk must be on
tap to successfully complete these missions.
Search & Rescue: Friendly forces are in need of extraction, but must first be located.
Not unlike Search & Destroy missions, but dont take any shots at these guys. The UH-60K/
L Blackhawk must be on tap to successfully complete these missions.
Recon: The scouts lead the way here, as youre ordered to see whats out there. The OH58D Kiowa Warrior, AH-66A Comanche or AH-6G Defender must be on tap to successfully
complete these missions.
Campaign: This is a theater-wide commitment for the long haul. Youre placed in
a situation of continuous combat where mission after mission is thrown at you and your
flight.
Who knows how long it will last; theres no set schedule in combat. While you cant win
the campaign on your own, your success (or failure) does have an impact on its ultimate
outcome.
THEATER OF DUTY

14

If you are a new pilot, its best to choose Training as your first flight. In any case,
position the cursor over the the desired mission type and press Selector #1.

Position the cursor over the world map located on the right wall and press Selector
#1.
At this time, there are two theaters of operation available:
Persian Gulf: No pushovers here. The Iraqis are a well equipped foe. They possess
a high degree of commitment and wont easily waiver. Additionally, flying in desert
conditions presents a whole different set of factors.
As an added attraction, you and your flight may be call upon to stage from
Amphibious Assault Ships located in the nearby waters. Your skill and special training
aptly qualify you for this duty.
Central Europe: This region is the greatest challenge since you are up against the
best the Soviet Union has to offer. They may be down, but theyre not yet out. The region
remains very unstable; the history books are yet to be written on what could transpire.
Additional Theaters: Gunship 2000 supports add-on theaters and their related
forces and equipment. A number of potential areas are currently under consideration.
Make your selection by positioning the cursor in the box outlining the theater and
press Selector #1.
SQUADRON ARCHIVES

While not an integral component of the mission selection process, the Squadron
Archives certainly come into play over the course of a pilots career. These records are
kept in the filing cabinet located just beneath the Theater Map.
Mission Films: Position the cursor over the top drawer and press Selector #1; this
drawer contains the saved mission replay films. During mission debriefing youre given
the opportunity to save the mission replay for later viewing.
Positioning the cursor over a film title and pressing Selector #1, selects the film
press play to replay the film.
You may also exchange mission films with your friends - this way you can show them
what real pilots do in their spare time.
Duty Roster: Position the cursor over the bottom drawer and press Selector #1; this
drawer contains the pre-mission Duty Roster.
Weve all been in the situation where a single mistake has resulted in a life-ending
crash, or at the very least fast-tracked our careers to oblivion. This always seems to
happen when were just on the verge of a major promotion.
In the past, quick reboots or DOS copies of the roster were the only alternatives
around this dilemma. Now you can use this option to restore the Duty Roster to its state
just prior to the last mission flown. It's like the mission never happened - we all need a
few breaks once in a while.
One warning - you must actually fly the mission before you can restore the Duty
Roster; this doesnt save you from the stigma of refusing to fly a mission.

EXITING BRIGADE HQ

Youre now ready to attend the mission briefing. Before you leave, make one last scan
of the screen to verify your selections; once you leave, youre committed.
When ready, position the cursor over the door marked Exit and press Selector #1.

15

MISSION
BRIEFING

Depending upon the Theater selected, you now find yourself in simple surroundings
among the lush green hills of Central Europe or on the stark sands of the Persian Gulf.
As a matter of course in the Persian Gulf, you may also find yourself in the ready room
of an Amphibious Assault Ship.
There are three action areas located at various positions around the screen.

MISSION ORDERS

The top page of your Mission Orders is just visible at the bottom of the screen.
Position the cursor on the page and press Selector #1.
These four pages not only detail the upcoming mission, but also provide important
intelligence data about the opposing forces. Its very important to read your orders
carefully. Press Selector #1 to leaf through the pages.
Call Sign: Its based on the phonetic military alphabet; youre always number 1.
Primary Mission: This is the primary reason this mission exists, and why youre
being sent out. Make sure that you understand the components of the primary and its
requirements for completion. Its general location is indicated on the mission map with
a P.
Secondary Mission: More than likely, a secondary is also assigned; its presentation is the same as your Primary. Although classified a Secondary Mission, its still
important. You can complete it first, but dont forget the primary. The Secondary
Missions general location is indicated on the mission map with an S.
Base: This is where you will start and finish the mission. Its location is indicated on
the mission map with a B.
Note that on Deep Strike missions, your base is
somewhere off the mission map. You start on the edge of
the world at the Passage Point; this is expressed as two
coordinate values. This is the only safe exit from the
mission.
FARP: If FARP is available, its location is indicated
on the mission map with an F. You may land at a FARP
to replenish fuel and weapons.
S-2 Report: The S-2 gives you his best estimate
(guess?) about the opposing forces equipment. Pay special attention to the availability of opposing helicopters.
Conditions: The meteorological section gives you a
brief report on the expected weather conditions in the
flight area. How these conditions affect flying is dependent
upon the flight switch settings.
Mission Map: This is the flight area for the current
mission. All of the key points of interest are indicated on
the map.

Tent Screen

16

Please note that the map coordinates are read military fashion, right & up. The
first number listed is on the horizontal scale, and the second on the vertical scale. For
example, 00/16 is in the upper left corner. Remember that maps are never 100%
accurate. This is especially true of ground unit and mobile base sightings.
Decline Mission: In the event you really dont want to fly this mission, you can opt to
pass it along to someone else and request new orders. If currently engaged in a campaign,
this page provides the mechanism to suspend or abort the campaign and return to Brigade
HQ.
To review the Mission Orders, you may sequentially leaf through the pages any
number of times. After review, position the cursor over the envelope and press Selector
#1.

OUTFIT
HELICOPTERS

The squadron armorer routinely places the recommended helicopters, with ordnance, on the flightline. You can accept his recommendations or change any or all of the
helicopters and ordnance. To review, position the cursor over the helicopters in the
background and press Selector #1.

OUTFIT SUMMARY

This provides a complete overview of the pilot assignments, helicopters, and their
respective ordnance. From this screen, you may shift the pilots and/or helicopters to
other positions and also assign section leaders.
Swap Pilots: Position the cursor anywhere in the first pilots summary section and
press the p (Swap Pilots) key; the pilots outline now starts
to flash. Position the cursor in the second pilots summary
section and again press the p (Swap Pilots) key. Theres
just one restriction, you must occupy the #1 position.
After all, youre the flight leader.
Swap Helicopters: Position the cursor anywhere in
the first helicopters summary section and press the h
(Swap Helicopters) key; the helicopters outline now starts
to flash. Position the cursor in the second helicopters
summary section and again press the h (Swap Helicopters) key.
Duplicate Helicopters: Position the cursor anywhere in the first helicopter's summary section and press
the d (duplicate helicopters) key; the helicopter's outline
now starts to flash. Position the cursor in the second
helicopter's summary section and again press the d (duplicate helicopters) key.
Section Leaders: Your flight may be organized or
sectioned into one section of five or into two smaller
sections. The section of three is the Heavy Section; the
other section of two is the Light Section. Sections fly as
a single group, which greatly facilitates flight commands.

Pilots Screen

17

Youre always a section leader; the pilots occupying positions #3 and #4 may
alternately be assigned as a section leader. Position the cursor anywhere in the pilots
summary section and press the l (Assign Section Leader) key.
The Heavy Section is identified by a blue band and the Light Section by a grey band.
Return to the Mission Briefing screen when satisfied with the mix, but first, read on.
ARMING

Ordnance Screen

18

If you want to change a helicopters ordnance, or change the actual helicopter,

position the cursor anywhere in the helicopters summary section and press Selector #1.
The Arming Screen displays the current helicopter along with its ordnance.
Weapons: A brief description of each weapon displays at the upper right.
To select a weapon, highlight it and press Selector #1 ; then select the appropriate
option among those available. Existing weapons can be directly replaced; the existing
weapon doesnt need to be first removed.
Most helicopter weapons are balance loaded; whenever you add or subtract a
weapon to one position, its twin automatically loads on the opposite wing. The Defender
and Kiowa Warrior are exceptions; their pylons can carry different weapons.
Fuel: Highlight Fuel and press Selector #1. Expressed as a factor of 100%, fuel is
increased or decreased as desired. While its real tempting to trade fuel for weapons, dont
leave yourself short; its very embarrassing if you have to walk back.
Ammo: This only applies to helicopters with integral cannons or machine-guns.
Highlight Ammo and press Selector #1. Ammo is loaded to
the maximum, or any lesser amount.
Chaff/Flares: Highlight Chaff/Flares and press
Selector #1. A mix of 60 chaff & flares are carried.
Load: All helicopters are rated for a maximum load
capacity; this value is express as a factor of 100%. Theater
and weather conditions affect the maximum load capacity
of a helicopter. It decreases as temperature and humidity
increase, and is further reduced by low atmospheric
pressure. Load capacity is also reduced at higher altitudes
as air becomes thinner as altitude increases.
The load capacity is automatically calculated for each
helicopter, but of course, varies by the theater and mission conditions. As you change weapons or increase/
decrease Fuel or Ammo (the chaff & flare mix doesnt
impact load) the load capacity changes. You can load
ordnance in excess of 100%, but the load must be 100%
or less before you exit the arming sequence.
A load of less than 100% is desirable since more
reserve power is then available.

Change Helicopter: Highlight Change Helicopter and press Selector #1. Select the
new helicopter by highlighting it and pressing Selector #1. New helicopters always arrive
on the flightline clean (without ordnance).
Return to the Outfit Summary screen when satisfied with the mix; highlight
Ordnance Complete and press Selector #1.
EXITING MISSION
BRIEFING

Youre ready to start the mission. Position the cursor over the map and press Selector
#1.
Note that during campaigns, this map is used to advise you of the current state of
a campaign. The degree of victory or defeat is indicated by how far the blue side (friendly)
or the red side (opposing) has advanced beyond the original front line.

COCKPIT
SWITCHES

You preflight, or set, the Cockpit Switches to determine the overall reality or
difficulty of the upcoming mission. Many different switch combinations allow you to tailor
the settings to your own particular needs. You must also enter the GPS Authenticator
Code to activate on-board systems.
There are nine action areas located at various positions around the screen. The
Data Display in the upper right corner displays a brief description of each switch
whenever an action area is accessed. Change switch settings by positioning the cursor
over the switch and pressing Selector #1.

Reality Switch Screen

CP/G CONTROLS
This assign duties to your invisible CP/G, and enables
you to concentrate on other activities.
Weapons/C.M.: The CP/G automatically fires all
weapons. The CP/G additionally activates the appropriate
counter-measures systems as needed.
C.M.: The GP/G controls just the C.M. systems.
None: You control all weapon/C.M. systems.
While the CP/G does an adequate job, you will
eventually want to control all systems yourself.
ENEMY QUALITY
This determines the competence level and training of
the opposing forces. It has a direct correlation with how
quickly an opposing unit can achieve a lock on your
helicopter, and the relative accuracy of its weapons. Units
of lower quality are also more reluctant to pursue an
objective in the face of stiff resistance.
Poor: These guys are best described as rabble. A
civilian force could probably do just as well. Not much to
worry about here, you can mop up these troops with no
trouble. A good first opponent for new pilots.

19

Average: These are your basic everyday troops. Certainly not exemplary, but at least
theyre not the bottom of the barrel.
Crack: Now were starting to talk competence. These guys know their business, and
are a real challenge. They are aggressive and clever. Dont assume anything.
Elite: The best-of-the-best. Not much more need be said about these troops. They
go to any lengths to accomplish their objectives or to stop you from accomplishing yours.
You need to be exceptionally quick and skillful to get the upper hand.

20

FLIGHT

This switch sets the flight mode parameters of your helicopter.

Easy: The pitch, roll, altitude and airspeed of the helicopter have no effect on lift. No
matter how you maneuver the cyclic (joystick), lift, and therefore, your altitude is
unaffected. The collective is the only control that affects lift/altitude.
Realistic: Here the pitch, roll, altitude and airspeed affect lift as in a real helicopter.

LANDINGS

This switch sets the difficulty level or forgiveness associated with your landing
attempts.
No Crashes: All landings are perfect.
Realistic: Landings need to be within the design specifications of the helicopter; if
not, damage or destruction could result. Easy does it.

AVOIDANCE

This switch turns the on-board collision avoidance system on or off.

On: The helicopter automatically avoids intervening terrain features, thereby
preventing instant destruction on hillsides. The system avoids the objects by gaining
altitude, so dont deliberately fly at tall mountains; it cant protect you from bullets.
Off: Youre on your own, so keep alert. The radar altimeter is probably your best
friend.

WIND

This switch activates or deactivates wind effects.

No Wind: The flight conditions are calm and serene.
Realistic: The wind is blowing across the battle field at the velocity and bearing
indicated in the Mission Orders. Your helicopter displaces an equal amount to the wind.

VISIBILITY

This switchs setting determines the probability of naturally occurring (fog, rain, etc.)
or man-made conditions (smoke) obscuring visibility or limiting the effectiveness of
visiononics equipment.
Clear: Visibility is unlimited.
Realistic: Visibility can be limited by battlefield obscurants.

DIFFICULTY

The combination of theater, mission type and switch settings determines the overall
difficulty level of the upcoming mission. The higher the difficulty level, the greater the
challenge, but the potential reward is heightened.
The Difficulty indicator provides a visual gauge of the difficulty level. When fully
illuminated, the mission is of extreme difficulty. The indicator is unilluminated,
regardless of the settings, for Training Missions, as no score is awarded.

GPS SYSTEM

Located in the center of the screen is the GPS Console. Position the cursor over this
area. After the Data Display describes the Consoles function it then displays the GPS
Cipher.
You are shown a Squadron Insignia along with a five digit number. These insignia
and numbers are found in the Installation Guide. Find the corresponding five digit
Authenticator Code, and enter this number by pressing the appropriate numeric keys.
If the correct code is entered, the GPS Console will display Signal Locked. Youre
ready to start the mission.
If you cant find the correct code, you can still fly the mission, but the on-board GPS
Map are disabled along with your weapons.

APU

Now position the cursor over the Aux Power Unit switch. This switch is used to start
the helicopters engines and begin the mission. It has a safety cover so that it wont be
inadvertently activated; it requires two keystrokes to activate. Press Selector #1, and the
safety cover flips up. Press Selector #1 again, and the power starts to wind-up.

21

SIMULATION CONTROLS & VIEWS

22

SIMULATION
CONTROLS

A number of commands are available to control overhead or various game

functions. While these commands can be utilized at any time, some relate to specific
functions, and have no effect.

PAUSE

Press the Pause (alt p) key to immediately freeze the action. Some computers have
specific pause or hold keys. Depending on the internal design of your computer, these
keys may also work. Pause is only effective during flight.

JOYSTICK ADJUST

Gunship 2000 supports either a joystick or the keyboard for all game functions. If
youre using a joystick, the keyboard also remains active.
If your joystick seems to be drifting, press the Joystick Adjust (alt j) key, with the
joystick centered, to re-calibrate.

DETAIL ADJUST

If you have a slower computer, you may use the Detail Adjust (alt d) key to access
the selection menu. The simpler detail levels increase the processing speed. The action
is temporarily suspended when making the selections.

QUIT TO DOS

Press the Quit (alt q) key to immediately end the simulation and return the system
to DOS. No information, including current scores or settings, is saved to disk. Scores and
settings are automatically saved at the completion of each mission, so only the current
data is affected.

END MISSION

Press the End Mission (alt e) key to end the current mission. The computer projects
the current situation into the immediate future, and determines the results. Therefore,
you cant use this key to escape from impending disaster; and the results do count as a
mission flown.

VOLUME ADJUST

The Volume Adjust (alt v) key accesses the sound effects selection menu. The action
is temporarily suspended when making the selections.

CO-PILOT SOUND

Your invisible co-pilot communicates system status and threat/target information

to you via digitized sound. While these prompts are quite helpful, theres a price to pay
in computer processing speed. If you find your system slowing too dramatically, pressing
the Co-Pilot Sound (alt c)key turns these sound off.

LAST MESSAGE

The other section leader or pilots communicate with you during the course of a
mission. These messages stay visible for only a short period of time. If for some reason
you are unable to review an entire message (you could be busy with some bad guys of your
own), pressing the Last Message (alt m) key re-displays the text.

COCKPIT STYLE

In addition to the processing speed gained by adjusting the detail, the style of the
cockpit can be adjusted to increase performance. Press the Cockpit Style (alt s) key to
toggle between the cockpit styles.

ACCELERATE TIME

Press the Accelerate Time (]) key to increase the rate at which time passes, therefore
increasing the speed of your flight. This is a variable setting of 16 levels. Each successive
press of the key increases the speed one level. This function is best used in combination
with auto-pilot mode.

NORMAL TIME

Press the Normal Time ([) key to immediately return to normal time; it cant reduce
the rate to less than normal time. Flight automatically returns to normal time (at 6+ time)
whenever a target is sighted or upon reaching the final waypoint.

SIMULATION
VIEWS

Gunship 2000 offers a number of different points of view while flying. You can jump
from inside the cockpit to a point of view outside or even ride a Hellfire into its target.

FROM-THE-COCKPIT
VIEWS

These views are from inside of the cockpit looking out. These are your true views.
Cockpit (F1): This is your normal from the cockpit view. From this you see the
gauges and controls of the cockpit panel. When engaging in combat, this is the most
advantageous point of view, as you have the aid of the weapon targeting systems.
Mast (F2): The OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, MD530G Defender and AH-64B Longbow
Apache are equipped with mast mounted sights. Theyre used to peer over the tops of
obstacles while keeping the body of the helicopter hidden and safe from opposing eyes
and more importantly, opposing weapons.
Theyre best employed from hover mode (the auto-hover mode holds your position),
as you really cant mask behind terrain in forward flight. When activated, the controller
is utilized to rotate the sight, left or right, through 360, not to control helicopter flight.
Left (F3): View from out of the left cockpit window.
Right (F4): View from out of the right cockpit window.

OUT-OF-COCKPIT VIEWS

As an aid to flight maneuvers and combat, a variety of external views are available.
In all of them, youre out-of-the-cockpit looking at your helicopters and/or the targets.
Chase (F5): Youre positioned just behind your helicopter, looking past it at
whatever lies ahead. You maintain this perspective no matter how the helicopter is
maneuvered.
Flight Chase View (shift F5): Youre positioned just behind one of your pilots
helicopters looking past it at whatever lies ahead. You maintain this perspective no
matter how the helicopter is maneuvered. Press the key again to shift your view to the
next helicopter.
Tactical View (F6): Youre positioned just behind your helicopter, looking past it at the
target. This view automatically rotates and pans to keep both the helicopter and target in
view.
This view is helpful when engaging air targets, and is also useful if you want to return
for a second or third pass at a ground target. Its probably wise to return to the cockpit
before firing, so as not to waste ammunition.
Remote View (F7): Youre positioned just off from your helicopter; your helicopter
continues its flight. This view automatically rotates and pans to keep your helicopter in
view. Its not unlike the view of a radio-controlled flight.

23

High Scale Map

Railroad

Additionally, by pressing and holding Selector #2, you can maintain that point of
view.
Reverse Tactical View (F8): Youre positioned just behind your helicopters target,
looking past it at your own helicopter. The target can either be an air or ground unit whatever youre locked on. In either case, the target is in the foreground, and your
helicopter is in the distance. In fact, it may only be a dot in the sky. This view
automatically rotates and pans to keep both the target and your helicopter in view.
Experienced pilots find this a very dramatic view when making attack runs at
ground targets. Its a great view to show off, but keep in mind that your helicopter is still
flying; dont crash into a hill while admiring the view.
Missile View (F9):
Youre positioned directly
behind the weapon just
launched. This view is very
entertaining, as you follow
Bridge
Road Canyon
Mountain Range
the weapon directly into the
target. If youre having
trouble understanding why
your weapons are missing,
Structures
switching to this view can
be very helpful.

Road

Wadi

River
Canyon
Coastline
Flat

Airfield

24

Divided Highway

Sea

MAP VIEW
When the Map View
(F10) key is pressed, the
GPS map appears. Your helicopter wont crash while
youre viewing the map,
since the action is suspended.
The GPS map displays
the entire world in which
youre flying in low and high
scales. The high scale map
is the default display. Note
that it matches the map
provided in your Mission
Orders.
This map displays the
positions of all friendly units
and the positions of sighted
opposing units. Current

Low Scale Map

River Canyon

Structures

Fortification

Gorge
Road
Canyon

Railroad
Low Hill
Tunnel
Wadi
Road
Divided
Highway

Bridge

Airfield

Hill

Flat

Depression

Mountain

Coastline

Sea

Map Icons
Infantry

Train

Ship

Vehicle

Tank

Structure

Destroyed

AA Unit

sightings display in bright

colors, while old sightings
display in dark colors.
Remember that the opposing forces may be moving,
so dont rely on old sightings.
Icons are used to mark
the sightings.
The different terrain
features are depicted on the
high scale maps. These
come in many shapes and
sizes, and vary from worldto-world. Terrain is the
number one defensive measure. Get familiar with the
different terrain types, and
use them to your advantage.
Press the spacebar to
switch to the low scale mode.
The low scale maps depict
specific terrain features.
Where the large scale map
indicates a mountain group,
the small scale map depicts
the actual mountains of the
group. The displayed area
is scrolled by moving the
Controller in any direction.
A reduced version of the
large scale map displays in
the upper right corner; the
yellow indicator boxes the
display area. Press the
spacebar to return to the
high scale map, or the esc
key to return to flight mode.

Helicopter

25

HELICOPTER CONTROLS

26

FLIGHT
CONTROLS

A number of controls and flying aids are available to you as a pilot. The following
describes and defines how each works; but do not use this section as a guide to flying,
see How to Fly.

CYCLIC STICK

Pushing the Joystick (up arrow) forward pitches the helicopters nose down. Pulling
the Joystick (down arrow) back pitches the helicopters nose up. Pushing the Joystick left
(left arrow) or right (right arrow) rolls the helicopter in that direction.
A downward pitch moves the helicopter forward; a large down pitch causes a faster
dive in Realistic Flight mode. An upward pitch moves the helicopter backwards.
Rolling the helicopter left or right at extremely low speeds (under 10 knots) causes
the helicopter to rotate left or right. At low speed (under 40 knots), it causes a skid or
sideslip left or right. At medium or high speed, it causes a banking turn left or right.
The Artificial Horizon Gauge shows the current pitch and roll of the helicopter.

COLLECTIVE

Lift keeps the helicopter airborne. In level flight, increasing the collective causes the
helicopter to ascend, while deceasing the collective causes the helicopter to descend. The
current level of the collective is measured as torque. When raising or lower the
collective, the engine torque/throttle is automatically adjusted.
To raise or lower the collective, press the Collective Up (=) or the Collective Down ()keys respectively. To raise or lower the collective fast, press the shift Collective (= or )keys.
The Torque Gauge indicates the current level of torque.

GEAR

Press the Gear (3) key (AH-66A Comanche only) to toggle your landing gear up or
down. Flying with the gear down not only reduces airspeed, it increases the radar crosssection.
The Gear Indicator Light is illuminated when its down.

AUTOPILOT

Press the Autopilot (5) key to engage or disengage the autopilot. When engaged, it flies
you to the active INS waypoint; if no waypoints are set, the autopilot doesnt engage.
When engaged, the autopilot locks in your current altitude and speed. However, if your
altitude is less than the Low Limit, the Auto-Pilot will not engage. If the cyclic stick is
moved in any direction, the autopilot automatically disengages.
The autopilot Indicator Light illuminates when its engaged.
Warning: the autopilot doesnt avoid hills or obstacles (unless Collision Avoidance
is engaged); it flies a straight line from waypoint to waypoint.

NEXT WAYPOINT

Press the Next Waypoint (6) key to immediately switch to the next waypoint. This can
be selected while the autopilot is engaged.

PREVIOUS WAYPOINT

Press the Previous Waypoint (7) key to immediately switch to the previous waypoint.
This can be selected while the autopilot is engaged.

BAY OPEN/CLOSE

Press the Bay Open/Close (8) key (AH-66A Comanche only) to open or close the
weapons bay. The Comanches internal weapons, except for the 20mm cannon, can only
fire when the bay is open. However, when open, it increases the radar cross-section.
The Bay Indicator Light is illuminated when its open.

ROTOR
ENGAGE/DISENGAGE

Press the Rotor Engage/Disengage (9) key to engage the rotor (cause the engines
to turn the rotor), or disengage the rotor (cause the rotor to spin freely, unconnected from
the engines) When its disengaged, the collective is automatically bottomed (set to zero).
The Rotor Status Light indicates if the rotor is engaged (green) or disengaged (red).
The light flashes red if you attempt to add collective with the rotor disengaged.

AUTO-HOVER

When flying at a speed from +10 to -10 knots, pressing the Auto-Hover (0) key
automatically places the helicopter in hover mode; your speed is automatically reduced
to zero. The collective controls can be used normally, but auto-hover doesnt allow the
altitude to drop below the Low Limit. Therefore, you cant land with auto-hover engaged.
If the cyclic stick is moved forward or back (you may still rotate left or right), auto-hover
automatically disengages.
The auto-hover Indicator Light illuminates when its engaged;it flashes when
engaged at too high a speed
Auto-hover is very useful to maintain a position during windy conditions or to
unmask and quickly mask from cover. You can drop altitude like a rock, since auto-hover
holds you at the Low Limit Altitude.

ONE OR LEFT MFD

Press the One or Left MFD (z) key to change the information displayed in a single
or the left hand MFD. Helicopters with a single MFD have five possible displays:
navigation (heading & waypoint data), low scale map, mission orders, weapons status or
target camera. The target camera automatically displays, overriding any other display,
whenever a lock-on occurs.

RIGHT MFD

Press the Right MFD (x) key to change the information displayed in the right hand
MFD. Helicopters so equipped have five possible displays: navigation (heading &
waypoint data), low scale map, mission orders, weapons status, or threat display. The
threat display automatically displays, overriding any other display, whenever a target is
detected.

LOW LIMIT

Press the Low Limit - (c) key to decrease the low altitude limit by 50 feet; it can not
be reduced below 50 feet. Both the barometric and radar altimeters utilize the low limit
setting as the basis for low altitude warnings. Audio and visual indicators are activated
whenever the altitude falls below the low limit.
In addition to its function as a flying aid, the low limit is used to set the flying altitude
of independent helicopters and/or sections.

LOW LIMIT +

Press the Low Limit + (v) key to increase the low altitude limit by 50 feet; it can not
be raised above 250 feet.

27

WEAPON
CONTROLS

A number of weapon controls are available. The following describes and defines how
each works. Do not use this section as a guide to combat, see How to Fight.

ROCKET SALVO
X1, X2, X4

Press the Rocket Salvo x1, x2 or x4 (1, 2, 4) keys to set the number of Hydra 70
unguided rockets that will be fired from each wing pod whenever rockets are selected
and Selector #1 is pressed. Rockets are fired symmetrically from both wing pods, except
for the Kiowa Warrior and Defender. The salvo mode is shown in the Weapons Display.

ACQUIRE/NEXT TARGET

Press the Acquire/Next Target (back space) key to lock onto a target or to switch the
current lock-on. Normally, the targeting system automatically locks onto the nearest
target; this enables you to switch to an alternate target.
If no other targets are present, the lock-on remains with the current target. The
target system toggles through the potential targets from nearest to farthest.

RADAR JAMMER ON/

OFF

Press the Radar Jammer On/Off (n) key to toggle the radar on, if currently off, or off,
if currently on. When the radar jammer is active, a green light illuminates next to the R
warning indicator.

DROP CHAFF
IR JAMMER ON/OFF

DROP FLARE

28

Press the Drop Chaff (m) key to release a chaff decoy.

Press the IR Jammer On/Off (.) key to toggle the IR on, if currently off, or off, if
currently on. When the IR jammer is active, a green light illuminates next to the I
warning indicator.
Press the Drop Flare (/) key to release a flare decoy.

SELECT ORDNANCE

Press Spacebar to change the active weapon; the active weapon, along with the
available quantity, is shown in the Weapons Indicator.

FIRE WEAPON

Press Selector #1 to fire the active weapon. Most weapons are fired/launched singly;
each time Selector #1 is pressed, one round is fired. However, rockets are fired in salvos
and cannons & machine-guns fire in multiple-round bursts.

HELICOPTER GAUGES & INDICATORS

AH-64A/B APACHE
AIRSPEED GAUGE
ALTIMETER GAUGE

ARTIFICIAL HORIZON
AUTOPILOT
AUTO-HOVER

This gauge, along with its digital readout, shows your horizontal speed through the
air in knots. A speed of 100 kts equals about 114 mph, or about 161 kph.
This gauge, along with its digital readout, is your barometric altimeter; it shows your
true altitude in feet. Its adjusted for you to compensate for ground elevation variances
so that 0 altitude is always at ground level.
This ball gauge shows your pitch (nose up or down) and your roll (left or right).
The P illuminates whenever the autopilot is engaged.
The H illuminates whenever auto-hover is engaged.

COMPASS

The analog compass, along with its digital readout, indicates your current heading.
Note that the compass shows the heading your helicopter faces. During skids or
backwards flight, your actual course is different.

CHAFF & FLARE

INDICATOR

This indicator shows the number of defensive stores remaining. Its shown as chaff
CF and flares FL. Each defensive unit is released as a group of three cartridges.

ENGINE GAUGE

The left and right strips in the gauge marked E show the RPMs of the port (left) and
starboard (right) engines.

FUEL GAUGE

The gauge marked F shows the amount of fuel remaining in all tanks.

HUD

The HUD (head-up display) projects bright numbers and symbols ahead of your view
so that you can simultaneously read the display and look ahead.
The left scale indicates your airspeed along with a symbolic representation of the
artificial horizon.
The right side scale combines the radar altimeter with the vertical speed indicator
(see below). The radar altimeter is probably the most important indicator you have, so pay
close attention to it. It indicates your actual height over ground. Theres an important
distinction between this and the standard altimeter. As you fly over obstacles your true
altitude remains constant, but the height over ground changes. This can be the difference
between crashing or surviving. The red band at the lower end of the scale is low limit.
The top scale is your heading along with the INS and target lock-on pips.

INS INDICATOR

The INS (Inertial Navigation System) indicator indicates your course to your current
waypoint. The top fixed pip is your heading, while the bottom pip is the waypoint. If its
right of center, turn to the right; if its left of center, turn to the left. The waypoint course
is also indicated digitally.

29

AH-64A/B Apache Cockpit Screen

HUD

Autopilot

Auto-Hover

Airspeed

Altimeter
Compass

Artificial
Horizon
INS

Chaff &
Flare
Weapon
Jammers

Rotor
Light

30

Torque

Fuel

Engine

MFD

Systems
Status

VSI

Threat
Display

MFD

The MFD has five possible displays: navigation (heading & waypoint data), low scale
map, mission orders, weapon status or target camera.

ROTOR LIGHT

The light is green when the main rotor is engaged. The light is red when the main
rotor is disengaged, i.e. spinning freely, unconnected to the engines.

SYSTEMS STATUS
LIGHTS

These light show the status of major systems on board your helicopter. They appear
as a group on your console and the helicopter schematic on the map screen. A green light
means the system is functionally normally (console only); a yellow light means the system
is damaged and malfunctioning; a red light means the system is knocked-out and off-line.
The abbreviations (schematic position) represent:
AVN:
CAN:
FUL:
OPT:
PTE:
PTW:
RTR:
SBE:
SBW:
TAL:

avionics (gauges, defensive measures), side view - tail boom

integral cannon, side view - nose
fuel tanks, side view - lower cockpit
optics (targeting systems), top view - nose
port engine, top view - left engine
port weapons wing, top view - left wing
main rotor, side view - main rotor
starboard engine, top view - right engine
starboard weapons wing, top view - right wing
tail rotor (flight stability), side view - tail rotor

THREAT DISPLAY

This screen shows nearby targets that can potentially threaten your helicopter. Red
dots are opposing units, grey dots are non-threatening units or structures, blue dots are
enemy aircraft, and yellow dots are missiles in flight. This includes both opposing
missiles AND your missiles. The white flashing dot is your present target.
The threat display automatically scales from short to long range (short range will
override long range).

TORQUE GAUGE

The strip shows the amount of torque in the turbine engine(s). This is proportional to
the amount of collective control and rotor lift. The higher you set the collective, the higher the
torque.

VSI

The VSI (vertical speed indicator) shows the rate you are changing altitude
(ascending or descending). If the needle is horizontal, youre maintaining a constant
altitude. If the needle dips downward, youre descending toward the ground; if it points
upward, youre ascending. The greater the needle varies from horizontal, the greater the
altitude change.

WARNING INDICATORS
& JAMMERS

The R warning light flashes red whenever a search radar sweeps over your
helicopter. When tracking (firing) radar for either guns or missiles locks onto your
helicopter, the light turns solid red. If you turn on your radar jammer, the neighboring
light turns green while the jammer is running. If the jamming is successful, the solid red
warning light turns off.

31

Note: your jammer cant suppress radar searches, so flashing red warnings may
continue even if your jammer is active. If you leave the jammer active, they'll eventually
"read" your frequency and overcome the jamming.
The IR warning light turns solid red whenever an infrared (IR) homing weapon is
approaching your helicopter. If you turn on your IR jammer, the neighboring light turns green
while the jammer is running. If the jamming is successful, the solid red warning light turns
off.
While the radar jammer can remain on, the IR jammer eventually "times out" due to
heat. It must cool down to again become effective.
Note: there arent any active IR search devices, IR search is passive, therefore theres
no flashing red IR warning.
The L warning light turns solid red whenever your helicopter is being illuminated
by a laser ranging or targeting device. At the present time, laser jammers are still on the
drawing boards. So, find the source and get it before it gets you or get out of Dodge quick.

32

WEAPONS INDICATOR

The weapons indicator shows the active weapon, its position on the helicopter, and
quantity of rounds remaining. For rockets, it also indicates the current salvo setting.

AH-66A
COMANCHE

The Comanche cockpit is dominated by electronic systems, and aptly fits the trend
towards total digital display. The first thing you notice is the lack of analog indicators.

AIRSPEED &
ALTIMETER

The airspeed (ASI) and altimeter (ALT) data are both digitally represented. Next to the
altimeter is the VSI icon; it indicates ascending, descending and neutral altitude change
modes.

GEAR

The status retractable landing gear is indicated by the gear (G) light; its
illuminated when its down. You can fly with the gear in the down position, but speed is
reduced and the radar cross-section is increased. Landings are impossible with the gear
in the up position.

BAY

The status of the weapons bay is indicated by the bay (B) light; its illuminated
when the bay is open. Internal weapons, except for the 20mm cannon, cant fire when the
bay is closed. However, when open, it increases the radar cross-section.

OTHER DISPLAYS

The remaining indicators, displays and HUD function in a similar manner to the
Apaches.

THE REMAINING
HELICOPTERS

Although their cockpit layouts differ from the Apaches, the gauges, indicators and
HUD in the other helicopters function exactly like the Apaches. Just familiarize yourself
with the unique layouts; the look of the gauges and indicators has been standardize for
ease of use.

AH-66A Comanche Cockpit Screen

HUD

Auto-Hover

Autopilot

Gear
Bay

Altimeter

Airspeed

VSI

Compass

Rotor
Light
Fuel

INS

Engine
Chaff &
Flare

Jammers

MFD

Systems
Status

Torque

Weapon

33

HOW TO FLY
Helicopters are very complex flying machines. One wonders how a machine so
angular and ungraceful could ever get off the ground. In flight, they look like a mass of
whirling blades. Yet, helicopters do fly - and fly well for that matter; but, the controls are
quite different from a conventional airplane.
Its often said that the real pilots fly helicopters; the other guys just dabble at flying.
Remember just one thing - DONT OVERCONTROL! Helicopter controls are
sluggish; they react slowly. Even the most responsive helicopter (like the Comanche)
takes a couple of seconds to respond to your control movements.
Be gentle with the controls. After each control movement, watch for the result before
you do anything else. Numerous fast, radical control movements produce unexplainable
results and possibly a crash!
The most common error in helicopter flight is to over-control by pulling or pushing
hard on the cyclic or pressing too long on a key.
The emphasis is on realistic flight, since thats the most complex. If possible, learn
to fly in the realistic mode from the beginning; you can always fall back on the easy mode
if the frustration factor gets too high.

GETTING AIRBORNE

Helicopter Controls
Backward
on cyclic
joystick

Increase (up)
collective
Right on
cyclic joystick
(Rotate at hover)

Forward on
cyclic
joystick

Left on
cyclic joystick
(Rotate at hover)
Decrease (down)
collective

34

ENGAGE THE ROTOR

Your power is already on line; the APU
provided the power to start the engines.
Press the Rotor Engage/Disengage (9) key
to engage the rotor system. The rotor status light turns green when the rotor is
engaged. The rotors now come up to speed
(the sound level increases).
CLIMB TO A HOVER
Press the Collective Up Fast (shift =)
key until the helicopter starts to ascend.
The torque gauge rises as you raise the
collective. Press the Collective Down (-) key
if the ascent is too fast. The VSI indicates
the rate of your ascent (the indicator is
above horizontal). Let the helicopter ascend to about 100 feet.
Press the Auto-Hover (0) key anytime
your speed is from +10 to -10 knots. Its
very useful to maintain a position during
windy conditions or to unmask and quickly
mask from cover.

ROTATING IN HOVER

Push the Cyclic (left or right arrow keys) left or right to rotate the helicopter in that
direction. The speed of rotation is dependent on how far the Cyclic is pushed (multiple
presses of the arrow key). Center the Cyclic (press the opposite arrow key until rotation
stops) to stop the rotation. You can only rotate the helicopter at speeds under 10 kts.

FLIGHT
TECHNIQUES

Add a little more collective. As you begin climbing, push the Cyclic forward slightly
to pitch down the helicopter. Youll begin to move forward. At about 30 kts, youll start
to climb. Your altimeter and VSI reflect this change in lift. This is because forward motion
in a helicopter adds extra lift (termed translational lift), especially at 30-90 kts.
The further you pitch down, the more your speed increases. As your speed exceeds
100 kts, translational lift deceases. The VSI starts to move to the negative end of the scale.
More pitch downward will push you into a dive.
Easy Flight: Lift is unaffected by forward motion. Your altitude remains constant,
and is therefore independent of the cyclic.

FORWARD FLIGHT

LEVEL FLIGHT

Move the Cyclic forward or back until the airspeed reads about 120 kts. Now check
the VSI. If youre descending (the indicator is below horizontal), add more Collective until
the indicator is horizontal. Alternately, if youre ascending, reduce Collective. When the
VSI is horizontal, youre in level flight.
Due to the slow control response, its easy to over-correct and add or reduce the
collective too much. Youll constantly chase the needle, trying to stabilize your flight.
After each adjustment, wait a moment for the VSI to stabilize.
Easy Flight: These adjustments are unnecessary since lift is unaffected by forward
motion.

CHANGING ALTITUDE

When flying level (about 120 kts), the easiest way to descend is to push the Cyclic
forward (pitch down) into a dive. As you approach the altitude desired, gently pull the
Cyclic back (pitch up) until the VSI again stabilizes. Similarly, the easiest way to ascend
is to pitch up slightly, reducing airspeed below 100 kts. When you reach the desired
altitude, pitch down again until the VSI stabilizes. This technique is not unlike
conventional airplane flight. Youre able to change altitude without adjusting the
collective.
A second way to change altitude, applicable at any speed, is to raise or lower the
collective. When you reach the desired altitude, adjust an opposite amount of collective
to regain level flight. This is the only way to change altitude from a hover.
Regardless of the technique used, dont try to fly the helicopter by constantly
adjusting the collective. Learn to feel the correct collective setting, and then fly with
just your cyclic. This takes time, so be patient. Even real pilots must practice many
long hours before its mastered.
Easy Flight: The collective must be used to change your altitude; its just like
choosing the floors on an elevator.

35

36

LOW LIMIT

The low altitude limit is a flying aid that warns you of close ground proximity. It works
in conjunction with the radar altimeter, and is displayed as a red band on the radar
altimeter.

TURNING

From a level flight (about 120 kts), move the Cyclic slightly to the left. Your helicopter
rolls into a banking left turn. As you turn, observe the change in your compass heading.
Move the Cyclic further left and bank into a tight turn; youll now start to lose lift. Notice
that your altitude is dropping and the VSI is below horizontal. If you center the Cyclic and
level out, youll return to level flight.
There are two methods to maintain altitude in a tight turn; this could be very
important at low altitudes. Add some Collective before you start the turn, then reduce the
Collective just before you come out of it.
Alternately, pull up your nose slightly as you enter the turn, then drop it back down as
you come out of the turn. With this method, you can make fast, banking turns without losing
altitude.
At speeds below 40 kts, the helicopter will skid (sideslip) in the direction of cyclic
movement, rather than bank into the turn; at this point, youre basically flying sideways.
Easy Flight: Altitude is never lost, no matter how tight the turn. However, the
helicopter will sideslip at speeds below 40 kts.

TURBULENCE

When flying below 100', you may feel air turbulence. Youll sometimes bounce up
and down, or roll from side to side. The amount of air turbulence varies with altitude and
speed; the faster and lower you fly, the more turbulence you may experience.

AUTOROTATION

Helicopter crewman cant eject or bailout in times of trouble. However, the total loss
of engine power means only one thing - they must ride the bucking bronco in.
Fortunately, helicopters have the equivalent of an conventional airplanes dead
stick landing. This unpowered method of landing is called autorotation.
To begin an autorotation, disengage the rotor. In real life the pilot must also bottom
the collective (reduce it to zero), but the collective automatically bottoms when you
disengage the rotor. This must be done immediately, or the rotor will slow to a stop
(remember its still engaged to the now-dead engines). If the rotor stops, youll fall like a
baby grand piano.
Now adjust the pitch until your airspeed is about 70 to 90 kts (maximum
translational lift). The rotor is now spinning freely because the airflow keeps the blades
turning. The descent will become quite fast, a bit frightening to the inexperienced. When
you get close to the ground, raise the nose and simultaneously add Collective. The rotor
blades will bite into the air, giving you lift and slowing the descent. Unfortunately, as
the blades start to bite, air resistance slows them down.
You must time the up collective so that the helicopter lands gently (figuratively
speaking) before the rotor slows too much. If you raise the collective too soon, the rotor
will stall and youll be playing the piano again. If you raise the collective too late, you wont
slow your descent and youll crash. Nobody said it would be easy - it just takes practice.

Easy Flight: Auto rotation is not functional with easy flight. It's best to set "no
crashes" when in this mode.
FLIGHT ENVELOPE

There are unsafe speed and altitude situations that, in the event of total engine
failure, will unavoidably result in a crash. These unsafe situations are considered to be
outside of the flight envelope.
Hovering at altitudes from 25' to 500', or high speed flight below 20' to 30' will
probably result in a crash if engine power is lost. It takes a certain amount of time to
convert from normal flight to autorotation. In these situations, there just isnt enough
time to gain control.
However, unsafe is a relative term. In combat situations unsafe flying is probably
safer than taking a hit. During combat, chances must be taken; evaluate the situation
and make the best decision.

RULES OF
ENGAGEMENT

Everyone has rules they must abide by, and this is no different in combat.
Helicopters live and fight near ground level, as high altitude is only safe for the jet jockeys.
The high command wants to assure that you will have a long and distinguished
career. Therefore, your maximum altitude is restricted to 1500' in all situations. Any
higher, and youd be a sitting duck.

NAVIGATION

Pressing the Map View (F10) key displays the high scale mission map. You can
always fly to specific points by dead reckoning or, more simply, you may input up to three
waypoints into the INS system.
To input waypoints, press the Fly To (F) key; a yellow crosshair appears over your
helicopter. Use the Controller to move the crosshair to any point on the map, and press
Selector #1; waypoint #1 is now marked. Press Selector #2 to stop with less than three
waypoints or continue to mark waypoints #2 and #3. Press esc , at any time, to cancel
the waypoints. Existing waypoints are automatically cancelled whenever the Fly To (F)
key is pressed (esc will cancel the command).
Because the high scale map is only a representation of the actual terrain, you may
want to fine-tune the placement of the waypoints. After all, you wouldnt want to fly into
a mountain. Press the spacebar; the low scale map appears. Use the Controller to follow
the path of the waypoints (each waypoint is marked with its number). To adjust a
waypoint, press its number. Its now centered in the map display. Use the Controller to
adjust its placement; press Selector #2 when finished.
The current INS heading is the flight path to the active waypoint. The waypoint
range and heading can be displayed in the MFD. The Next Waypoint (6) and Previous
Waypoint (7) keys are used to change the active waypoint. To manually adjust your
course, always turn towards the INS pip.
Press the Autopilot (5) key at anytime to engage the autopilot. When engaged, it flies
you to the active INS waypoint.

INS SYSTEM

37

38

WIND & WEATHER

When flying during windy conditions, the same considerations that apply to an
airplane apply to helicopters. Namely, the wind will increase your speed, slow you down,
and/or push you sideways, depending on your flight path in relation to the wind velocity
and direction. This is most noticeable on long distance flights.
Temperature also affects helicopter flight. As air gets warmer, it expands and
becomes thinner, providing less lift. If the air gets too cold, icing on the rotor becomes
a problem. Similarly, in humid conditions the air is composed of more water, reducing
lift. Finally, as altitude above sea level increases, air gets thinner, reducing lift. For
helicopters, ideal flying conditions are 70 F (21 C) on a dry day at sea level.

LANDING

The nice thing about helicopters is their ability to land without a paved airstrip.
However, they cant land on sloping ground. Any slope greater than 5 causes so much
rotor tilt that the helicopter flies, or skids away from the slope, making a landing
impossible. NEVER try to land on a hillside - youll crash!
Ideally, all landings, and takeoffs for that matter, should be into the wind. As you
approach the base, lower your altitude to about 50' and reduce your airspeed to 60 kts
by pulling back slightly on the Cyclic. Youll need to reduce the Collective to maintain your
50' altitude. Your goal is to land in the center of the base. Just before you cross the outside
edge of the base, begin slowing down to a hover by pulling back on the Cyclic. Note that
as your speed drops towards 0 your lift will decrease. Add some Collective to maintain
your altitude.
The wind will tend to push you away from your present position; the Cyclic should
be moved slightly toward the wind, producing just enough skid to counteract the wind
velocity. This will maintain hover against the wind.
Reduce the Collective (easy does it here) to begin your final descent. At about 20' you
may need to reduce the Collective further to achieve touchdown.
Easy Flight: The collective must be used to change your altitude; however, altitude
is unaffected by the cyclic controls.

FARPS

Foward arming and refueling points (FARP) are highly mobile bases designed to
support helicopter operations. They are placed near or around the battle area, and are
usually set up to support a particular squadron or mission. They are well stocked with
aviation fuel and a full range of weapons.
Your mission orders indicate if a FARP is available for the current mission. If
available, you may land at the FARP just like any other base. The ground crew
immediately refuels and rearms your helicopter and your flight.
Unfortunately, theyre not supermarkets - theres no shopping allowed. Your
helicopters are refueled and rearmed to match your start of mission configurations.

CARRIER LANDINGS

You may ask what business the Army has at sea? As a member of a highly trained,
elite force, you are more than up to the task. Still, carrier-based landings are a little more
complicated than your everyday open-field variety.

The landing pad is smaller, and the carrier deck isnt at 0' altitude. The radar
altimeter is the key instrumentation; it indicates the proper approach altitude as you
center your position over the deck. The other steps are just like landing on the ground,
but be prepared to immediately max the collective if youve misjudged your approach.
SHUT DOWN

When you have landed at your base (altitude is 0), disengage the rotor."Call it a day"
appears; answer "y" to end the mission or "n" to refuel and rearm to continue the mision.

39

HOW TO FIGHT
Helicopter combat systems have come a long way since the days of door mounted
machine-guns and wing and a prayer defensive measures. Contemporary helicopters
possess an extensive array of weapon and defensive systems. Each has been tailored to
a specific target type or purpose. Its important to become familiar with each systems
strengths and weaknesses. Itll be the difference between getting the target or the target
getting you!

40

FLIGHT PLAN

Before you take off, re-examine the mission map, and decide on a flight path that will
take you to the primary or secondary. Remember, the most obvious route may end up
being the most disastrous. Bounding directly into the target at 140 kts and 500' of
altitude may work in training, but its suicide against well-equipped troops.
A standard technique is to fly to the target in short dashes. Fly from behind one hill
to another, then hover and pop up briefly to scan ahead. Drop down, pick your next
destination and repeat the process. Stay as low as possible when dashing, and use
intervening terrain to mask your movement. It may sound boring, but youll enjoy the
results.
Fuel is a major consideration; it isnt unlimited. Dont stretch yourself to the point
you cant make it back. This is especially important when flying over water.
Any success quickly turns to failure if you lose your flight to poor fuel planning. Always
know the position of your base and FARP. Dont hesitate to top off your tanks if theres any
question.

THREATS

As you fly, watch the threat display; the top of the display coincides with your current
heading. A red dot is an opposing ground unit. A blue dot means an opposing aircraft
(helicopter) is approaching. A yellow dot indicates a missile in flight. A yellow cross
indicates a missile coming your way. Note that the threat display cant distinguish
between friendly and opposing missiles. A grey dot is a friendly unit or a neutral
structure.
When units appear on your threat display, they are also plotted on the maps. They
appear darker when they disappear from your threat display; thats their last known position.
Though virtually every opposing unit has some sort of gun or shoulder-launched
missile, the most dangerous are AA guns and vehicles and SAM vehicles.

WARNING INDICATORS

Watch your warning indicators; they are the true measure of enemy activity. The
IR, R and L indicators turn or flash red to indicate opposing search or tracking
activity. Additionally, the originating units dot on the threat display automatically
changes to a cross, thereby alerting you to the bearing of the most dangerous threat or
threats.

JAMMERS

When a warning indicator illuminates, the standard response is to turn on the

corresponding jammer; press the Radar Jammer (n) key or IR Jammer (.) key (L jammers
currently arent available). A small green light beside the warning light illuminates,
showing your jammer is active. If the warning indicator turns off, the jamming was
successful. Immediately turn onto a new course, as jammed missiles often continue on
their old course.
Keep your jammer active until you destroy or fly away from the threat. Its a good idea
to immediately activate both jammers if the threat concentration is high.

DECOYS

If the warning indicator remains illuminated, try using a decoy; press the Chaff (m)
key or Flare (/) key to launch a decoy. The decoy indicator illuminates as long as the decoy
is active. The decoy should be drawing the missile or gunnery to its position.

ON THE
DEFENSIVE

Ground based weapons utilize active radar, passive IR or optical means to search out
and find targets.
Search radars can see you at long distances in day or night. A distant red dot on
the threat display may be a search radar. Since the purpose of search radars is to detect
your presence, jammers and decoys are counter-productive, as both announce your
presence!
Other units use short-range passive IR or the old standby - eyesight. They cant see
you until youre much closer, and at night optical sighting is especially limited.
All methods of search are blocked by objects on the ground. As a result, groundbased units have a dead-zone they cant see. Above this dead-zone the eyes will
eventually find you. This dead zone becomes smaller and lower as you approach the unit.

HOW THEY FIND YOU

HOW THEY TRACK YOU

If a search is successful, they switch to tracking mode. If employing radar, they

constantly illuminate you with a radar beam. This sets off your radar warning and causes
the indicator to solidly illuminate.
When launched, IR weapons set off your IR warning and cause the indicator to
solidly illuminate.
If a laser ranger/designator is painting your helicopter, the laser warning goes off
and causes the indicator to solidly illuminate.
If youre being tracked by radar or an IR weapon, use your jammers and decoys. If
that fails try evasive flying.
Dive to a lower altitude while turning parallel to or away from the threat. If you get
lower and avoid closing the range (the dead-zone effect), an enemy often loses its track.
Evasive flying is a superior option to jammers and decoys, because it doesnt broadcast
your position.
Laser-guided and visually aimed weapons cant be jammed or decoyed, so evasive
flying is your only defense.

SURVIVING TRIPLE-A

If they find you, opposing guns will open fire and continue to fire until they shoot you
down. You must either break the track or destroy the weapon. Its that simple.
The best way to survive gunfire is skillful evasive flying and dead-eye firepower.

41

42

SURVIVING SAMS

If they find you, SAM-equipped units will launch a missile. Missiles are either laserguided, IR-guided, radar-guided or visually-guided. When a missile is in flight, youll see
a yellow dot or cross moving toward you on the threat display.
Passive IR-guided missiles are the most common threat. Your IR warning indicator
illuminates when they approach. Use your jammer or flares to confuse the missile, but
remember to turn away so as not to collide with it. Sophisticated IR missiles probably
have visual or laser back up guidance; dont get too elated if you defeat the IR-guidance,
there may still be a nasty surprise in store.
While radar-guided missiles are primarily designed for use against conventional jet
aircraft, they still pose a serious threat. A radar beam reflecting off your helicopter guides
the missile. This radar beam is what illuminates your radar warning indicator. Use your
jammer or chaff to confuse the missile, but remember to turn away so as not to collide
with it. Just like IR-guided missiles, radar homers probably have back up guidance
systems. Therefore, defeating the radar is just the first step in defeating the missile.
Visually or laser-guided missiles are the greatest threats. You have no effective
jammer or decoy defenses; your only bet is evasive flying. Putting terrain between you and
the missile is the best bet. Flying into the dead zone is the only other hope. Remember,
successful evasive flying requires that you fly lower AND away from the launcher. If you
continue flying toward the launcher, flying lower may not be effective.
After all this, there is some good news. All missiles have one universal weak point
- they have a wide turning radius. If you can get one close, dart off perpendicular to its
flight path; it will be unable to turn fast enough to hit you. This tactic is easier said than
done in a slow moving helicopter. It takes enormous skill, and split second timing to turn
inside of a missile screaming in at Mach 3.
The Appendix includes a summary of the various AAA and SAM systems that await
your pleasure. A description of the search, tracking and missile guidance systems is
listed, along with an estimate of their effectiveness.
Study your mission intelligence briefings closely. If necessary, reference the weapon
system to understand its use and effectiveness.

OUT AT SEA

When out over the water, you have lost the best means of defense - terrain. Youll
need to stay extremely alert, since the opposing patrol craft carry a number of defense
weapons. Stay low or carry long range weapons, such as Penguin and Maverick.

DAMAGE

If youre unable to spoof the threat, the gunfire or missile will probably hit your
helicopter. Youll see the shudder of your helicopter. If the hit was severe, one or more
of the systems status lights will illuminate. Systems will start to malfunction or fail.
Youll need to evaluate the damage to determine if you can continue the mission or need
to return to base.
If you are hit in multiple or critical systems, your helicopter will lose power. The only
way to survive this is to autorotate to a safe landing. The number of hits required for a
general systems failure varies; after four, you should expect the worst.

HELICOPTER
WEAPONS
TARGETING

Your on-board targeting system is constantly scanning the forward arc; the system
is limited to the front 180. It cant scan to the rear, so pay close attention to your flight
path, and occasionally swing around to check your six.
The targeting system is line-of-sight dependent. As a result, the higher you are, the
farther it can see. Of course, the higher you are, the easier it is for the other guys to spot
you.
The targeting system automatically locks onto the closest target. A diamond
appears in your forward view, and an image of the target, along with its range and heading
data, displays in your MFD. You may switch the target lock, assuming others are in the
area, by pressing Selector #2. There may be a momentary delay; the targeting system
must re-scan the entire area for new targets.
When the locked target is within maximum range for the selected weapon, the target
box becomes a solid. This range varies from weapon system to weapon system, as
maximum ranges differ. If you fire at a target before the target box changes, theres no
chance of a hit!

MAST-MOUNTED SIGHTS

The AH-64B Longbow Apache, OH-58D Kiowa Warrior and the AH-6 Defender are
equipped with a sighting system mounted on top of the main rotor hub. This system
enables these helicopters to "see" at greater ranges. Better yet, they may peer over the top
of intervening terrain without exposing the helicopter. Press the Mast View (F2) key to
switch to mast view; use the Controller to rotate your view.

FIRING

Depending on the weapon selected, a reticle ring or a fixed crosshair appears in your
view. The reticle ring works with guided weapons, whereas the crosshair works with
unguided weapons.
The reticle ring must be superimposed over the target diamond to accurately engage
the target; adjust your flight path if necessary. It has a range of movement that represents
the angle of offset for the selected weapon. The reticle ring also becomes larger as the
range drops, indicating the confidence of the shot.
The crosshair is always positioned directly ahead. Unguided weapons always fly or
fire as you bear. Adjust your flight path to coincide with the target box. Theres no
question its a challenge to fire unguided weapons at long range. Aiming errors, no matter
how slight, normally result in a miss.
Pressing Selector #1 fires the active weapon. Cannons and machine-guns fire in 20
round bursts. Rockets fire in salvos of 1, 2 or 4. All other weapons fire singly.

WEAPONS

The weapon indicator displays the active weapon, its position and rounds
remaining; rockets also indicate the current salvo setting. Press the spacebar to change
the active weapon.
All rockets, both gun pods and the AH-6 Defenders integral gun are unguided
weapons; the remaining weapons are all guided.

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Certain weapons are only effective against certain target types. The Appendix
includes a summary of the weapon systems, including characteristics and effectiveness.
Familiarize yourself with these systems. Theres nothing worse than blazing away at a
target, wasting round after round, only to discover that youre using the wrong weapon.
When you fire a cannon or a guided missile, the helicopter bucks and recoils
upward; some altitude will be gained due to the loss in forward motion.
Note: this effect isnt experienced in easy flight mode.

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PRIMARIES &
SECONDARIES

If a locked target is part of the primary or secondary mission, a prompt appears in

the MFD along with the other target data.

THE CP/G

Your invisible co-pilot/gunner (the front seater - back seater if youre flying the AH66A Comanche) assists you in two ways during the course of a mission. First, by
communicating important system status and threat/target information; and second, by
assuming control of part of the weapon systems functions. The degree of weapon system
control is dependent upon the CP/G reality switch setting.

ON THE
OFFENSIVE

The best thing about helicopters is their ability to approach targets undetected; they
literally live (from a survival standpoint) at nap-of-the-earth (NOE) altitude - about 100'.
They move in and out of the terrain like a jungle cat stalking its prey.
Sneak up on suspected targets, and use caution. Take a few extra minutes to
evaluate the situation. The pilot that plunges headlong into a combat situation will more
than likely retreat just as quickly with his tail between his legs. Leave the flamboyant
entries to the jet jockeys - they need more attention, anyway!
If possible, attack from the flank rather than the front; this is referred to as an
enfilade attack. You can engage targets in turn, while limiting the number that can spot
you. If you engage from the front, all of the targets can spot you simultaneously.
Use long-range engagements; the further you stay away, the better. Most of your
weapons are longer-ranged than the oppositions - take advantage of it.
If you only remember one thing, NEVER overfly the target. If you didnt destroy the
target, youre giving away a free shot at your tail.
First and foremost, choose the right tool for the job. Evaluate your mission orders
carefully and outfit your helicopters with the most advantageous mix of weapons. For
example, if youre ordered to intercept enemy shipping, you may want to take a few
Penguins or Mavericks along for the ride.

WEAPONS

Once in combat, make sure that the active weapon is the most effective choice.
Dont try to fire Sidewinders at tanks or TOWs at jet aircraft.
Cannons: are close range weapons that are best fired straight ahead. Deflection
shots to the sides will consume more ammunition and reduce your chance of a hit. The
Apache A&Cs 30mm cannons and the SuperCobras and Comanches 20mm cannons
are essentially guided weapons - theyre aimed by your targeting system. The Defenders
machine-gun and pod guns must fire straight ahead.

Machine-guns: are very close range weapons, and can only be fired straight ahead.
They lack the penetrative power of cannons, and therefore are only effective against
unarmored targets.
Rockets: are available in three types. Each is best suited for a particular type of
target, but can be effective against other target types. Theyre unguided weapons, and are
therefore easier to fire at close range. However, they can be fired in salvos, and you can
carry a fair number.
ATGMs: are also available in three types. Theyre powerful anti-armor weapons that
can be effectively utilized against structures, ships and even slow-moving aircraft.
TOW is a wire-guided weapon thats steered to the target. Its not as difficult as it may
seem. As long as the target is locked, corrections to the missiles flight path are
automatically calculated and transmitted to the TOW over the un-spooling wire.
However, the wire is the biggest limitation - it runs out at about 3,800 meters.
HellFire-A is a laser designated weapon that homes in on reflected laser light. Its
much longer ranged than the TOW and has a wider target envelope. Since the Hellfire
sees the reflected light, the designation can be switched to a different target; if its within
the target envelope, the Hellfire will hit the new target. This allows for ripple fire tactics.
Multiple missiles are fired at short intervals; after the first hits, the designator spots the
new target, and then guides the second missile.
Lasers are not as effective during low visibility conditions. Rain, fog and snow can
reflect some or all of the laser light limiting range and hit probabilities. Theres another
disadvantage, you must also expose the helicopter until the Hellfire hits the target.
Hellfire-B is the latest version of this effective weapon system. Its the primary
armament on Longbow Apaches; it cant be carried on Model-A Apaches. It replaces the
laser homer with a fire-and-forget millimeter wave radar homer. All you do is find the
target, and fire the missile - it doesnt get any easier. This combined with the Longbows
mast mounted sight makes for a potent, unbeatable combination.
Sidearm: is designed to home in on any surface radar emission source; therefore,
its classified as an anti-radiation missile. Its big brothers, HARM, Standard and
Shrike, have been utilized to great effect on conventional aircraft for years. Now,
helicopters possess a similar punch. You dont have to get a target lock to fire a Sidearm;
just make sure to fire it toward the radar source. Its fragmentation warhead and fire-andforget technology make it one terrific quick-draw weapon - a surefire way to permanently cancel that radar.
The Big Loads: Maverick and Penguin are heavyweight special purpose weapons.
Their use in helicopters is shrouded in controversy; some argue theyre not worth their
weight. The opponents feel that Hellfire is just as effective, and you can carry 4 Hellfires
for every 1 Maverick or Penguin. On the other hand, Maverick and Penguin are both
longer-ranged than the Hellfire and are fire-and-forget weapons. The arrival of HellfireB makes the argument even hotter - the decision is yours.

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46

MASKING

Not what youll wear to your next costume party, its the method of terrain shielding
often called the pop up. Its also where the auto-hover pays for its weight. It
automatically maintains your present position and altitude even in the face of a stiff wind.
Pull up behind a convenient hill position and drop your airspeed to 0; your altitude
should be about 100' - 150'. As your airspeed approaches 8 -10 kts (it must be 10 kts
or less), press the Auto-Hover (0) key; this immediately reduces your airspeed to 0.
Now press the Collective Up (=) key to start a slow ascent. As you clear the crest of
the hill, stop your ascent. If your helicopter is equipped with a mast-mounted sight, stop
the ascent just as the sight clears the hill. Youre now in position to scan the surrounding
area.
If you lock onto an important target engage it immediately, and then drop down
below the crest; press the Collective Down (-) key. Otherwise, drop below the crest and
re-evaluate the situation. If necessary, check the mission map. You may need to adjust
your flight path, or unmask again to engage the other targets.
As an alternative approach, rotate the helicopter left or right by moving the Cyclic
left or right. Then push the Cyclic ahead slightly to add a few knots of airspeed. Try to
keep your airspeed under 10 kts. As you clear the side of the hill, press the Auto-Hover
(0) key, and rotate back to the forward area. After scanning the area or engaging the
targets, reverse the process (with a little more haste this time), and duck back behind the
hill. While this method of unmasking limits the scanning range, due to low altitude, its
an excellent method of engaging known targets - longer ranged targets probably wont
spot you.
Remember with auto-hover active, you can quickly drop altitude by virtually
bottoming the collective; it holds you at the low limit.

TARGETS

Your missions present a number of target options, each with unique characteristics
requiring different tactics of engagement or weapon selection. Always look before you
shoot; the high command gets real upset when you start shooting up the friendlies.
AAA & SAMs: are your biggest challenge. These are the only targets that can fire back
with any real effect. Getting in the first shot is the key here. Both types have reaction times
of 5 to 20 seconds, depending on the sophistication of equipment and the skill of the crew.
If you plan your attack carefully, you can take them out before they even get a shot off.
Tanks & Light Vehicles: can be a turkey shoot. Attack helicopters, especially the
Apache, are made to destroy tanks and vehicles. The tanks dont carry anything larger
than a short range 14.5mm machine-gun; you can pick them off easily. IFVs and APCs
can be a bit nastier; they carry shoulder-launched SAMs. Most of the other vehicles, such
as truck convoys, are totally unarmed.
This may seem too good to be true, but before you you think its a cakewalk, the
opposition has also recognized these weaknesses. Groups of tanks and other vehicles
normally travel with AAA & SAM vehicles. Keep an eye out for these escorts.

Working on the Railroad: doesnt get any easier than this. Railroad rolling stock
isnt much of a challenge, but important none the less. You know where they are and
where they must go; its just a matter of laying in wait and taking them out of action.
Naval Targets: can get quite pesky, and the opposition has a habit of placing armed
forces on their oil platforms. Guided weapons are a must in these situations. They are
better suited to deal with the maneuverable patrol craft, and you need their punch to take
out the oil platforms.
Infantry: are difficult to spot and root out. Theyre only armed with light weapons,
but most also carry shoulder-launched SAMs. Rockets and cannon/machine-gun fire are
a good choice in this case.
Structures: pose problems similar to infantry. Although bigger and easier to spot,
they are seldom undefended. SAMs and all types of AAA guns are usually in the vicinity.
If you pick off the defenders first, the structures are then fair game.
Bunkers and bridges are especially tough nuts to crack. It may take more than one
hit to destroy them.

AIR-TO-AIR
COMBAT

When helicopters were first envisioned as combat weapons, the importance of airto-air combat was all but overlooked in the USA. Unfortunately, the Soviet planners were
not so shortsighted.
The Soviets have always placed a strong emphasis on air-to-air combat, and have
made concerted efforts to design this capability into their helicopters. Many in the US
Intelligence community consider the new Ka-34 Hokum to be a purpose built antihelicopter helicopter.
Fortunately, the US military planners are no longer ignoring this all too important
technology. Air-to-air weapons have become a standard load when flying where air
superiority is in doubt. The new AH-66A Comanche is designed with a high degree of air
combat functionality; its closer in concept to high-performance jet aircraft than past
helicopter designs.
In actual air-to-air combat, one facet that requires constant vigilance is a helicopters
ability to spring from nowhere. Its on you before you know what is happening, snaps off
a missile and vanishes in the wink of an eye.
Helicopter borne air-to-air missiles are the primary threat. They come in all varieties
of homers, and are usually more maneuverable than ground based weapons. The
helicopters also carry machine-guns or cannons. Unit for unit, they can pack just as
strong a punch as the friendlies.
In Chapter 3, in the section entitled Helicopter Tactics, a number of the tactical
maneuvers key to air-to-air combat, are discussed and diagrammed, but it essentially
boils down to a few specific factors:
Altitude: Stay low! The enemy likes nothing more than to find a helicopter flying up
where only the eagles should dare. Its bad enough exposing yourself to the ground fire,
but its suicide against helicopters.

47

Take the First Shot: If you can get the first shot in, you have the best chance of
coming out on top. Pay attention to the threat display, and stay ready to snap off a quick
shot.
Range: Fire at the longest range possible. This gives you a chance to reposition and
take additional shots. Additionally, if they have ordnance in the air, it gives more time
to counter or evade.
Hold the Advantage: Get on the aircrafts tail or keep it to your front. NEVER lose
sight of the enemy! If they get on your tail, use a side flare or a horizontal scissors to
reverse the advantage. If necessary, use the Left View (F3) key or Right View (F4) key
to maintain visual contact.

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WEAPONS

There arent as many decisions to make with air-to-air weapons. They are adaptations of existing weapon systems. To date, the first purpose built helicopter AAM is yet
to be seen.
Cannons: are the choice for close quarters. The Apaches, SuperCobra and Comanche
use their helmeted mounted sights to maintain lock-on during tight twists and turns.
Fixed-firing cannons can still be effective, especially with tail shots. Dont waste your time
with machine-guns; when youre up against gunships, their armor cant be penetrated.
Sidewinder: the father of the Sidearm, is one of the most successful and tested
weapon systems in service. Its a highly maneuverable, fire-and-forget IR homer. Its longranged and packs a potent warhead. Like Sidearm, you dont have to get a target lock;
just make sure to fire it towards the IR source. Long range multiple engagements are a
simple process; just disperse the missiles so they dont home in on the same target.
Stinger: may be about half the weight of Sidewinder, but is certainly more than up
to the task. You can also carry twice as many Stingers as Sidewinders; you never know
when you may need those extra shots. While it may be shorter-ranged, itll reach just
about every thing you can see. Some targets may take two hits, but those should be few
and far between.
Helstreak: is a British import thats derived from the ground-based Starstreak SAM.
Its carried by the Longbow Apache and the Comanche. Its not a fire-and-forget system;
laser guidance must be provided by the launching helicopter. Therefore, a lock-on must
be attained prior to launch. On the plus side, it flies faster than Sidewinder and Stinger,
which reduces the exposure time. Its three element warhead covers a broad area, so close
is probably good enough. As an added advantage, it can also fire at ground targets. Its
warheads can pierce most medium weight armor.

TARGETS

Helicopters: For the most part, Stingers and Helstreaks are more than adequate.
Its the rare case where one shot wont do the trick; Sidewinders may be overkill. Dont
discount Hellfires in a pinch. If the helicopter isnt moving too fast, you can reasonably
maintain a lock, especially from hover. When you get in close, switch to cannon and hose
them down. M255 rockets can also be a nasty surprise!

HELICOPTER FLIGHT COMMANDS

The essence of Gunship 2000 is the multi-helicopter operations. Through this
mechanism, you direct the flying, combat and support functions of the other four
helicopters in your flight. Its a simple, straightforward, yet powerful process thats
executed through a series of single key commands.
After receiving your commission, the door opens to this challenging and exciting
process.

SYSTEM
SUMMARY

Press the Map View (F10) key to access the flight commands menu. The commands
are listed across the bottom of the screen. Commands available to the active section or
helicopter display brightly.
As you toggle through the helicopters, information relating to the active helicopter
displays along the left side. The combat data link system automatically tracks key
helicopter systems and mutually transmits this data via its communication link to all
helicopters in the flight.

The schematic helicopter diagram graphically displays damage to helicopter systems. A yellow burst over a system indicates damage; a red burst indicates system failure.
The rotor, tail rotor, left wing, right wing, left engine, right engine and cannon
indicate damage in their respective positions. Optics are
located in the nose and/or mast mounted sight; avionics
are located in the tail boom; and fuel cells are located below
Map Commands Screen
the cockpit positions. While these positions may not be
true location in all helicopter types, the consistency helps
speed recognition.
DAMAGE SCHEMATIC

HELICOPTER STATUS
The helicopters current orders and key system indicators display below the damage schematic.

COMMAND CONTROL
The command list is utilized to pass instructions to
the other helicopters in the flight. Commands given to a
section leader apply to all helicopters in that section.
Helicopters in your section always fly your course, speed
and altitude unless instructed to do otherwise.
All commands applicable to a section leader may also
be given to a single helicopter. In this case, the helicopter
deviates from the leaders control.

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50

NEXT UNIT

Press the Next Unit (n) key to toggle between the helicopters. If the helicopters are
flying as part of a single section, the helicopters display in numerical order.

FLY TO

Press the Fly To (f) key to establish a flight path. Up to three waypoints can be placed.
This command is applicable to your helicopter.

HOLD POSITION

Press the Hold Position (h) key to order the section to maintain its present position.
The Section maintains its current altitude and heading, but reduces its airspeed to 0.
This command can be given to a section at any point; it doesnt cancel existing waypoints.
Pressing the key a second time cancels the hold.
Upon reaching its destination, the section immediately assumes a hold command.

SPEED

Press the Speed (s) key to modify the sections airspeed. There are three possible settingsslow, medium and fast.
Slow speed is 50% of the possible maximum for the current altitude.
Medium speed (the default) is 75% of the possible maximum.
Fast speed is 100% of the possible maximum.
Pressing the key loops through the possible settings.

ALTITUDE

Press the Altitude (a) key to modify the sections altitude. There are three possible
settings - NOE, contour and low.
NOE altitude (the default) is 20' higher than your present low altitude limit setting.
Contour altitude is 150' higher.
Low altitude is 350' higher.
Pressing the key loops through the possible settings.

LAND

Press the Land (l) key to order the section to immediately land. The section seeks out
terrain suitable for a landing in the immediate area.

RETURN TO BASE

Press the Return to Base (b) key to order the section to immediately return to base;
all existing waypoints are cancelled. If on a deep strike mission, the section returns to
the passage point.
The section initiates the default speed and altitude unless ordered otherwise. The
section takes the most direct route to the base, and lands upon reaching its destination.
This command is applicable to your own helicopter. It sets a single waypoint with
your base as the destination. You must initiate the autopilot or head towards the
waypoint.

DISENGAGE

Press the Disengage (d) key to order the section to immediately break contact and
move away from all opposing forces. Upon reaching a safe position, the section assumes
a hold command. This command cancels all existing waypoints.
The section disregards this command if not currently in contact with opposing
forces.

REGROUP

Press the Regroup (g) key to order an independent helicopter to immediately rejoin
its section. It takes the most direct route, and initiates default speed and altitude
settings. This command cancels all existing waypoints.

WEAPONS FREE

Press the Weapons Free (w) key to order a section to engage all sighted targets. The
section employs the appropriate weapons, if available, based on target type. Pressing the
key a second time returns the sections weapons to hold. Helicopters on "hold" status
fly directly to their destinations.
The section freely employs defensive measures on either setting.

CARGO DROP

Press the Cargo Drop (c) key to order the sections cargo carrying helicopters
immediately to drop their cargo. The sections UH-60 K/L Blackhawks drop their cargo
upon reaching the primary/secondary. This command is applicable to your helicopter.

COMMUNICATIONS

Communication is the key element to any successful operation. Since youre an

active pilot in the flight, not some desk jockey, you must rely on your pilots to keep you
abreast of developments.
During the course of a mission, your pilots communicate key information and status
updates. The messages include target sightings, reaching destinations and damage
updates.
Their call sign appears on the screen, along with their message. This enables you to
fly your portion of the mission and not constantly check on flight status.
When important situations do develop, you can immediately access the Map view to
reevaluate and revise orders as necessary. You can also jump on their tail by pressing
the Flight Chase View (shift F5) key to directly view the situation.
If, for any reason, you are unable to read an entire message, press alt m to re-display
the last message.

STRATEGY

Its probably easier to just say "Ill do it myself," but combat is a team effort. The
commander that best employs flight assets will be the most successful. You could always
keep the entire flight with you at all times, but that will limit your options dramatically.
Give the other pilots a chance; theyll give you their best.

EXPERIENCE

Use your flight to the best of its abilities. Inexperienced pilots may not do exactly
what you had in mind. Developing skills and moxie takes time, just as youve probably
found out by now. Experience is a measure of rank and decorations. Your best pilot will
have flown the most missions, is one rank under you, and has a chest full of decorations.
This pilot is your best choice for the other section leader. Avoid selecting that wet
behind the ears W-01, fresh out of flight training. Dont ask any of them to do more than
theyre capable of accomplishing.

COMMANDS

Try to envision yourself flying this leg of the mission; what would you do if you were
there? Apply a command stream that accomplishes that image. If you give them poor
orders, theyll perform poorly. Youre their commander; they look to you for the right
measure.

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The tactics described earlier still apply here. Fly and fight smart!

52

SCOUTS

Scouts play a very useful role as independent helicopters. Send one on ahead to look
for enemy units and/or to clear a safe flight path. Its no use sending loaded Blackhawks
into totally unfamiliar territory; their loads are just too valuable to squander away.
A Scout must be present to complete a recon mission.

AMBUSH

With the opposing forces constantly on the move, its easy to stumble across a force
occupying an area you thought was clear or just flew through a few minutes ago. Its
usually expedient to position a helicopter in covering terrain along any suspected
movement paths.
Also, a helicopter can be positioned to watch your back door. This way you can be
confident that your means of exit is clear of enemy forces when you need to get out quick.

SPECIAL
CONSIDERATIONS

Upon landing at the objective, UH-60K/L Blackhawks automatically drop off their
passengers. They also automatically pick up any passengers, if in the vicinity, when they
land.
Cargo drops are also automatic. Of course, if the LZ is hot, you may be forced to
drop the load and get out quickly.

AFTER THE MISSION

MEASURE OF
SUCCESS

Youve landed, and are relatively safe and secure. The S2 now wants to run through
the debriefing. Never an easy read, you cant tell if hes pleased or disappointed. The
mission replay indicates how well you did this time out.
If you do nothing else, complete the primary and secondary missions, and return
safely to your base. If you can manage only one of the two, make it the primary. Destroying
additional units is always a plus, but not at the expense of your missions.
Promotions and decorations are awarded for hitting the assigned missions and
returning an intact helicopter to base. Time is also a performance measure. You cant
spend the entire day flying just one mission; you need to get in and get out as quick
as possible. Twenty minutes is a good milestone to target. There are only so many
helicopters and pilots available, and more than enough mission to go around.

DITCHING

If you land and abandon your helicopter, every attempt is made to pick you up, but
you may be captured by the opposing forces. Naturally, the chance of rescue increases
if youre near a base or FARP. The best bet is to make it back to base. Its better to return
even if you cant complete your missions. You can always return to fight another day.

CAMPAIGNS

When a campaign is competed, you are advised as to the outcome. This shouldnt
be any surprise, youve known the progress all along. The campaign map is routinely
updated when you attend briefings.

PROMOTION

Successful completion of your assigned mission improves your overall record. An

excellent record leads to promotion. However, even in combat, promotions take time.
Dont expect a promotion after every mission. As you increase in rank, promotions are
even harder to come by. After all, not everyone can be a Brigadier General.
A reprimand on your record makes promotion more difficult. Reprimands occur
whenever you decline a mission, abort a campaign, or fail to achieve either the primary or
secondary. On the other hand, decorations for heroism move you to the head of the promotion
pack.

BATTLEFIELD
COMMISSIONS

The TF commander is always on the lookout for pilots with leadership potential. If
youre selected to receive a commission, youre approached by the TF commander. The
choice is yours to make; its not required. However, accepting the commission does open
the door to the exciting world of multiple helicopter flight.
The TF commander is persistent. Hell keep after you even if you decline a
commission. If you continually decline the offer of a commission, CW4 is the highest rank
you can attain.

DECORATIONS

If you do exceptionally well on a mission, you may be awarded a medal for heroism
and valor. Unlike promotions, decorations are based purely on your performance during
a single mission. Your current rank and record have no effect on your chance of getting
decorated.

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54

MISSION REPLAY

The mission replay summarizes the key events of your mission. It shows what went
well and not so well. Its a learning experience; the next time out apply the lessons learned
from this mission.

FILM LIBRARY

Upon the completion of a mission, or if you access the mission films through the
Squadron Archives, the Film Library panel appears.
Here you select the film to view; the last mission flown is always titled Last Mission.
To select a film, position the cursor on the title line and press Selector #1; the selected
title highlights. Press Play to begin the replay.
From this control panel, you may also rename and delete mission films. Remember,
if you wish to save the current mission, you must rename Last Mission or itll be lost
after the next mission.
Once you fill the entire page, the slide bar to the right is used to scroll the film listing.

EXTERNAL VIEWPOINT

In this, the default viewpoint, replay displays the actual combat films from your
mission. You are there again with your flight, with a out of body view of all the action.
A short mission summary is displayed at the top of the replay screen.
A running list of events is display on the panel. This way you can follow along with
the action as it happened.

CONTROLS

Replay uses a VCR type panel to control the replay functions. During the
Conventional Replay, the Controller is used to position the cursor over a key; press
Selector #1 to activate the key. As an alternative, the tab and shift tab keys can be used
to position the cursor.
Position over and press the (
) keys (or press the directional keys) to adjust
the point of view.
Position over and press the (
) key (or press the r key) to rewind to the beginning
of the replay.
Position over and press the ( ) key (or press the s key) to stop the replay.
Position over and press the ( ) key (or press the p key) to start the replay.
Position over and press the ( ) key (or press the n key) to fast forward to the next
event. Upon reaching the next event, replay automatically shifts into the play mode.
Position over and press the (
) key (or press the f key) to fast forward.
Position over and press the (1, 2, 3, 4, or 5) keys (or press the respective numeric
key) to shift the view to that helicopter. If the mission type was Single, only the 1 key
is active.
Position over and press the (T) key (or press the t key) to shift the view to the target.
Position over and press the (RESUME) key (or press alt x) to resume the flight.
Position over and press the (DEMO) key (or press alt y ) to activate the Demo
Viewpoint. Press alt y to return again to the external viewpoint.

DEMO VIEWPOINT

The replay takes the pilots viewpoint. In this mode, you view the mission from the
pilots seat. All actions are replayed exactly as they occurred in the actual mission.

In addition to the decorations for heroism and valor, two other decorations can be
awarded. The National Defense Service Medal is given for successfully completing
training, and the Purple Heart is awarded for wounds received in combat.
RESUME FLIGHT

Replay offers one additional exciting feature. You can jump in a take over a flight at
any point during the replay! Position the cursor over the Resume key and press Selector
#1 (or press alt x).
This feature is an excellent combat tool for learning and developing tactics. You can
re-fly a tough mission, change your tactics, and observe the impact of a revised plan of
attack. Or, you can reenter another pilots mission, and see if you can top their results.
These films are loaded via the squadron archives file.
When you reenter a mission, you are positioned in the #1 helicopter and are now in
control with all game controls active.
The results of a reentered mission never affect your record, nor are the results of this
mission recorded for future viewing. The original replay remains intact.
To exit, press alt e ; this returns you to the game.Flight Promotions

FLIGHT PROMOTIONS
Group Promotion Screen

The pilots in your flight are also eligible for promotions and decorations. The high command makes recommendations as to who should be promoted and who should
receive decorations. As the flight commander, youre
authorized to accept the recommendations or transfer
the awards to other pilots.
To change a recommendation, highlight the award
and press Selector #1. The award is transferred to the next
pilot. Promotions are automatically adjusted to the next
higher rank. A pilot cant be promoted to a rank equal to
your current rank. Decorations are awarded as presented.
When you concur with the recommendations or
changes, highlight the Accept key and press Selector #1.

REPLACEMENTS
If youre ever faced with the unfortunate situation of
having lost a pilot in combat, youll automatically receive
a W-01 replacement from the pilot pool.
If youre not satisfied with the replacement or you
wish to change an existing pilot, the pilot replacement
screen is provided to make these administrative changes.
You may replace the pilot, but the new pilots rank and
decorations are comparable.
Highlight the pilot to be replaced, and press Selector #2. Enter the name of the new
replacement and then press Selector #1.

55

3. THE
HELICOPTER
HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT

56

FATHER OF THE
HELICOPTER

Leonard da Vinci is widely considered to be the Father of the Helicopter. In the late
15th Century, da Vinci developed the first theories of flight, and designed a screw-like
rotary-wing aircraft that operated on the principles he developed.
Da Vincis Helix had a large, screw-like rotary wing. Da Vinci had theorized that air
has a substance, or density, and that a lifting force could be generated by pushing down
against it; it would, theoretically, bore through the substance of the air like an auger bit
through wood.
While a full-size version of da Vincis Helix never flew, some small working models
were produced. The problems that faced da Vincis craft would confront every would-beinventor of a self-propelled helicopter. The power plant and structure of the aircraft
needed to be kept low, the torque produced by the spinning propellers had to be
counteracted, and the craft had to be controlled.

THE HELICOPTER
TAKES SHAPE

The next significant step toward rotary-winged flight occurred in 1783, at the
Worlds Fair in Paris. Two Frenchmen, Launoy and Bienvenu, created a toy rotary-wing
craft with four feathered propellers. The propellers were placed on either end what was
basically a stick, and turned independently of one another in opposite directions.
The toy, driven by a wind-up bent-bow system, managed to fly up to altitudes of
seventy feet, and provided a great deal of inspiration for other inventors. But they still
lacked a propulsion plant strong enough to generate the lift needed to get larger craft
airborne. It would be nearly another hundred years before inventors would have any
significant successes.
In 1862, another Frenchman named Ponton DAmecourt developed a steampowered helicopter. The craft had coaxial propellers, counter-rotating wings spinning
about the same axis. The helicopters steam engine was made of aluminum, and weighed
only four pounds. While the power-to-weight ratio of the craft was still too low for it to
get airborne, it bobbed and bounced on the ground on the threshold of flight. This alone
encouraged inventors to continue.

By 1870, an Italian inventor, Enrico Forianni, met with some success. His steampowered coaxial helicopter weighed only six and a half pounds, but it managed to fly up
to heights of 40 feet and for a duration of 20 minutes. Rotary flight, albeit unmanned
rotary flight, was a reality. But the hurdles to manned flight - the power-to-weight ratio
and control of flight - still remained.
The first breakthrough in manned rotary flight would not come until 1907, four years
after the Wright brothers first flight at Kitty Hawk. The development of internal
combustion engines had finally produced a power plant with a sufficient power-to-weight
ratio to be effective, and yet another Frenchman, Paul Cornu, set out to take advantage of
that new technology.
His craft had dual rotors, one placed forward and the other at the rear of the fuselage.
Each rotor measured twenty feet in diameter. The rotors were connected by drive belts
to a 24-horsepower internal combustion engine. For control of flight, Cornu had placed
tilted vanes below each rotor.
The belts slipped and the rotors spun unevenly, but Cornus helicopter became
airborne. His flight was short, and he only managed to rise a few feet above the ground,
but he had flown!
Many other helicopter designs followed; but for the next ten years, few met with any
greater success than Cornus. Control remained the greatest problem. And while World
War I had a drastic effect on the evolution of the airplane, it produced few advances in
powered rotary-wing flight.
The 1920s saw two major steps forward in rotary wing aircraft design. The first was
in 1922, when Raul Pateras, an Argentinean, built (with the backing of the French
military) a coaxial helicopter with controlled-pitch propellers. The controllable pitch of
the rotor blades while in flight increased the maneuverability, and the craft also
demonstrated the effect of autorotation - allowing the rotors to spin freely in unpowered
flight to slow descent.
THE AUTOGIRO

The second major step forward came not in the form of a helicopter, but from an
entirely different aircraft. Juan de la Cierva, a Spanish airplane designer, decided to
investigate rotary winged flight in 1924, and soon after unveiled an entirely new type of
aircraft - the autogiro.
Rather than using a powered rotary wing for lift, the autogiro has a freely rotating
overhead wing that is allowed to windmill. The forward motion of the aircraft through the
air, generated by the thrust of a conventional propeller, causes the rotor to spin and
generate lift. Consequently, the autogiro cannot hover; but it can take off and land in a
substantially smaller area than conventional aircraft. In 1928, de la Cierva flew his
autogiro across the English Channel, attaining an airspeed of nearly 100 miles an hour.

57

Autogiro

Helicopter
Axis of rotation
Lift

Axis of rotation

Resultant

Lift

Resultant

Angle of attack
Blade chord line
Tip path plane

Blade chord line

Tip path plane

Relative wind
Relative wind
Angle of attack

Angle of pitch

Drag
Angle of pitch

Drag

Tip path plane

Relative wind

Tip path plane

Relative wind

Fuselage level
Axis of rotation

Fuselage nose down

Axis of rotation

The autogiro found its way into the hands of the military in limited numbers, mostly
for evaluation purposes. One was the first rotary aircraft flown off a ship, launched from
the carrier USS Langley on September 23,1931; another was evaluated by the Marine
Corps during operations in Nicaragua in 1932. Admiral Richard E. Byrd used an autogiro
during his exploration of the Antarctic in 1933 and 1934, and the Army tested several
autogiros between 1935 and 1938.
But all of these craft were off-the-shelf civilian models, and little more was done
with the craft. Some military applications, such as antisubmarine warfare and artillery
spotting, were noted, but there was little real interest in further development; its low
payload capacity and its inability to take off vertically made it unsuitable for what the
military had in mind.
WORLD WAR II

58

The Second World War accelerated the development of helicopters dramatically,

especially in Germany. The first truly practical helicopter, the Focke-Achgelis Fa61, was
built for the Third Reich by Dr. Heinrich Karl Johann Focke, and flew for the first time
on June 26, 1936 (even though he had been marked by the Nazis as being politically
unsafe).
The Fa61 was a single-seat aircraft, with side-by-side three-bladed rotors and a
conventional propeller for forward thrust. Both the rotors and the propeller were powered
by a single 160 horsepower engine.

FA233 Drache

The craft proved to be difficult to fly at

first; eventually, it was mastered by Hanna
Reitsch, one of Germanys most respected
test pilots. In February of 1938, she flew
the Fa61 in the Berlin Deutschlandhall
sports arena, demonstrating the
helicopters incredible handling characteristics. She later described the experience
as intoxicating.
Reitsch and the Fa61 went on to set
numerous world records for rotary flight
between 1937 and 1939, proving the practicality and reliability of the helicopter once
and for all. Among its records were a top
speed of 77 miles per hour, a distance of
143 miles, and an altitude of 11,243 feet.
While Dr. Focke did not intend the
helicopter for military applications, the
Nazis had other ideas. Another German,
Anton Flettner, built what is considered to
be the worlds first military helicopter - the
F1 282 Kolibri. The Kolibri had twin
counter-rotating propellers that turned in synchronization, their planes of rotation
intermeshing. Flettners Kolibri flew for the first time in 1940, and by 1942 was
operational on German airships and escorts in the Mediterranean, Aegean, and Baltic
Seas. Eventually, a modification of the Kolibri was used for antisubmarine warfare.
Another Focke design, the Fa 233 Drache, was the worlds first transport helicopter.
The Drache, which carried six passengers and could carry a cargo load suspended from
a cable, was tested extensively for use as a general purpose transport for mountain
troops. Allied bombing raids destroyed all but seven, and by 1945 only three remained
serviceable. These were formed into the first (and only) WWII Luftwaffe helicopter
squadron, Transportstaffel 40.
While more Fa 233s were built, only one additional helicopter was ever completed.
At the end of the war, only two operational helicopters remained.
In the United States, Igor Sikorskys Sikorsky Aircraft Company received a contract
from the U.S. Army for a two-passenger observation helicopter. Sikorsky had earlier
demonstrated a prototype helicopter, the VS-300, and the success of that aircraft had
finally drawn the interest of the Army back to rotary-winged flight.
In January of 1942, Sikorskys Army prototype, the XR-4, flew for the first time. By
the time it was delivered to the Army on May 17, 1942, it had broken practically all of the
existing world records for helicopter operations. The U.S. military was now thoroughly
convinced of the helicopters potential.

59

Sikorsky R4

60

The R-4s design, like Sikorskys VS300 before it, utilized a single rotor with
three blades, and a tail rotor to counteract
the torque of the main rotor. This design
set the standard for the great majority of
American helicopters that followed it.
By the end of WWII, over four hundred
Sikorsky helicopters of three designs were
flying for the Army, Navy and Coast Guard,
and for the British Navy and RAF. They
served as scouts, delivered mail to ships at
sea, and served as rescue craft during
carrier operations. In addition, the growing
need for antisubmarine platforms gave the
helicopter an active combat mission in
fleet operations; with the advent of the
dipping sonar in the mid-1940s, the helicopter became a viable sub-hunter.
In 1944, the helicopter saw its first
duty as a combat search and rescue (CSAR) and medevac craft, during operations
in Burma. In April of that year, Sikorsky R4 helicopters attached to the U.S. Armys
First Air Commando Group, based at Hailakandi, India, were fitted with fuel tanks from
fixed-wing aircraft to extend their range, and were flown behind enemy lines to rescue
the crew and passengers of a light British medevac aircraft. The mission was a success,
and the R-4 was called upon almost daily afterward for other SAR missions.

THE MALAYAN
EMERGENCY

The first real conflict in which helicopters were used extensively was the Malayan
Emergency, a counter-insurgency war fought by the British for twelve years beginning
in 1948. By the time the Korean War began, the British already had nearly forty thousand
troops fighting a guerilla war against Chinese-backed communist insurgents. British
forces depended heavily on helicopters in this jungle war, for medical evacuation, troop
transport, observation and reconnaissance. The operational flexibility of helicopters,
along with their ability to deploy and retrieve troops in jungle terrain, proved their worth
in combat beyond a shadow of a doubt.

THE KOREAN WAR

The Korean War was to U.S. helicopter aviation what the Malayan Emergency was
to the British. During the course of the war, the helicopter was used by all four branches
of the armed forces, and tactics were developed for their use.
While the helicopter was primarily used for transport, medevac, search and rescue,
and reconnaissance by all of the services, there was some unofficial experimentation with
gunship tactics. For the first time, helicopters became a threat to enemy troops.

The first shots fired in anger from a helicopter were from a U.S. Navy helicopter in
January, 1951. Lieutenant, j.g. John W. Thorton and his crewman, Petty Officer
Whitaker, experimented with light attack helicopter tactics by firing .45 caliber pistols
and carbine rifles and dropping grenades from their HO3S-1 on North Korean troops. If
fragmentation grenades were not available , LTJG Thorton would obtain percussion
grenades and tape nails to them, so they could nail them to a tree.
These tactics did not endear Thorton to the North Koreans, nor to his fellow pilots.
The North Koreans quickly learned that the helicopter was a potential threat, and soon
were firing upon all they saw.
The HO3S-1 had been the subject of another experiment in helicopter armament a
year earlier, at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey. Mechanics at Helicopter Utility
Squadron One (HU-1) attempted to install swivel gun mounts with .30 and .50 caliber
machine guns in the doors of a helicopter. Unfortunately, the airframe wasnt strong
enough to support the guns, and when they were fired, they nearly ripped the sides of the
aircraft off. The experiment was only slightly ahead of its time.
The Army experimented with the idea of an armed helicopter during the war. The
need for armament aboard helicopters became apparent when the H-19 troop transport
helicopter was deployed to Korea - it proved to be extremely vulnerable during troop
assault landings. The Army tried mounting a bazooka on an H-13 helicopter in 1950,
with little success; three years later, the Army tried a grenade launcher, with the same
result.
American experience with the helicopter during Korea led to the development of the
Air Cavalry concept. General Matthew B. Ridgeway, who had seen the importance of the
helicopter in Korea, reorganized Army aviation in January 1955, and laid the foundation
for the modern Air Cav. Accompanying this new organizational concept was that of a
helicopter gunship.
In 1956, the Army began testing various types of helicopter armament again, with
the goal of providing an effective means for providing suppressive fire during assault
landings. Air Cavalry units experimented with .30 and .50 caliber machine guns, rockets,
and various cannons. Eventually, these experiments led to the formation of an aerial
combat recon company in 1958.
The French would be the first to apply the gunship concept under actual combat
conditions. During the bloody French-Algerian War, the French Army and Air Force
applied the American experience with helicopter armament to their Vertol H-21s twin
rotor helicopters originally built for troop transport.
The French used several mixes of armament, from .30 and .50 caliber machine guns
to 37 mm rockets and 20 mm cannon in their war against the Muslim rebels. The French
also armored their helicopters, using self-sealing gas tanks, and fiberglass armor plating
around engine compartments and the cockpit. After adding weaponry and armor to their
helicopters, the French did not lose any helicopters to ground fire. The French also
pioneered the development of a helicopter-launched anti-tank missile, in 1958.

61

While the French had some success with the use of helicopters during the FrenchAlgerian War, in the end they were forced to quit Algeria, granting their former colony
independence. The helicopter alone could not win a guerilla war. Still, the utility of the
armed helicopter had been proven, and important lessons had been learned about its
employment.
But the real test of Gunship weapons and tactics would come with the escalation
of a war in another former French Colony - Vietnam.
THE VIETNAM WAR

62

The Vietnam War has often been called the Helicopter War because of the pivotal
role that helicopters played in all aspects of the conflict. U.S. forces depended heavily on
the helicopter because of its utility and flexibility in an environment similar to that the
British faced in Malaya during the early 50s. During the conflict, more helicopters, and
more types of helicopters, would be used than ever before. Some eighteen types of
helicopters were flown by U.S. pilots over the course of the war (many of which are still
in service today in some capacity). The war also saw the first widespread use of gas
turbine-powered helicopters in all facets of operations.
The first gas turbine-powered helicopter deployed to Vietnam became a symbol of the
war itself - the UH-1 Iroquois, more commonly known as the Huey. First delivered to the
Army in 1959, the Huey was commonly referred to early on as the helicopter ambulance,
despite its multi-role design. The Huey was remarkably successful in all of its roles, and
eventually over nine thousand were built - many are still in service.
The UH-1B Huey became the first true helicopter gunship. It was built with universal
wiring and hard points for the attachment of various weapons systems. Three weapons
were used by the UH-1B: the XM-6 quad (four 7.62 mm machine guns and four grenade
launchers, mounted in pairs on each side of the ship), the XM-3 rocket pod system (two
pods of 24 2.75 inch rockets), and the SS-11 guided anti-tank missile (three guided
missiles mounted on each side of the helo). While the XM-3 and SS-11 systems were not
available early, the XM-6 quad was almost universally in use as early as 1962, giving the Huey
a lethal punch.
Huey 1As were also equipped with weaponry, though their lower turbine power and
lack of universal wiring limited the range of weapons available. They were equipped with
two fixed rocket pods and two 30-caliber machine guns, mounted on the skids of the
aircraft.
The first Huey 1As and 1Bs to arrive in Vietnam were organized into the Utility
Tactical Transport Helicopter Company (UTTHCO). The 1Bs proved to be much more
flexible in meeting the needs of the local commanders. Almost as important as the 1Bs
better armament mix was its higher shaft power, essential for maneuverability in the high
humidity of Vietnam. The gunships provided light close-in fire support for assault
landings of airborne troops, and were essential to the evolution of the airmobility
strategy of the U.S. Army.

The airmobility concept emerged in the early sixties as a product of a study by a

board of Army officers convened by Secretary of Defense Robert MacNamara. The Army
Tactical Mobility Requirements Board, also known as the Howze Board (for its
chairman, General Hamilton H. Howze, an experienced Airborne commander), recommended the substitution of helicopters for a large amount of the Armys ground
transportation. All Army units would be equipped with 360 air vehicles to every 2,000
wheeled land vehicles.
The committee also recommended the formations of specialized, completely airmobile air assault divisions. The concept of the Air Assault Division was tested by a
skeleton division formed at Fort Benning, Georgia, in 1964. During exercises in North
and South Carolina, the division proved itself against the 82nd Airborne.
The Secretary of Defense recognized the effectiveness of such a unit , and gave the
Army the approval to proceed with organization of the first airmobile division. The
division selected for this honor was the famed 1st Cavalry Division. On July 28, 1965,
President Johnson ordered the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) to Vietnam.
As the war escalated, and helicopters took increasing amounts of ground fire from
heavy antiaircraft weapons, it became apparent that a dedicated helicopter gunship was
needed. The UH-1B, while highly successful, was limited in its capabilities - it was, after
all, just a modified logistics helicopter. Bell Helicopter had foreseen the Armys need, and
was preparing to meet it. In 1966, the Army ordered its first true gunship - the Bell AH-1 Huey
Cobra.
The Cobra was based on the UH-1B, but had some major innovations. The airframe
was narrow, presenting a very small head-on target. The very look of the helicopter
suggested its purpose - it was death from above for the enemy. The first Huey Cobra went
to Vietnam in 1968. Perhaps their most famous role in the war was the operations
conducted by AH-1s over the Ho Chi Minh Trail, ambushing North Vietnamese and Viet
Cong supply trains. It was during these ambushes that Cobra pilots developed tactics like
Cobra Stacking, flying one above the other to maximize the amount of ordnance
delivered on a small area.
But the AH-1s also earned their keep in the troop transport escort role as well,
protecting assault helicopter landings and providing instantaneous fire suppression.
The Marine Corps found them vital to carrying out their mission.
With a broad range of weaponry, high speed and high maneuverability, the Cobra
proved to be a very important asset to American field commanders; its success insured
the long line of gunships that followed it. Many other nations have copied it, and the Army
and Marine Corps use modifications of the AH-1 (particularly the AH-1W Super Cobra) to this
day.
AFGHANISTAN

Vietnam was the proving ground for American gunships; for the Soviets, Afghanistan
served a similar role.

63

While the Soviets had been pioneers in heavy lift helicopter design and construction,
and had been arming helicopters since the early 50s, their first helicopter gunship was
not introduced until 1972. The Mi-24 Hind-A was really a heavily armed and highly
mobile transport helicopter. It is believed that the Hind-A was designed to act as its own
fire support during troop insertions; the Soviet staff believed at the time that they could
not afford a large number of single-purpose helicopters.
Soviet attitudes about gunships changed over time, and the Hind went through a
series of modifications. The Hind-D was equipped with a nose-mounted gatling gun. Still,
the Hind retained its transport capability; the Hind-E, introduced in 1976, can carry up
to ten troops with its full weapons load. With its weaponry and heavy armor, the Hind
is comparable to a very fast and maneuverable flying armored personnel carrier.
In December of 1979, the Soviets invaded Afghanistan under the pretenses of an
invitation by the Afghani government. By mid-January, the Soviets had more than
75,000 troops in the country.
The Hind gunship was the workhorse of Soviet aviation in Afghanistan; nearly 200
of them were deployed by January of 1983. The Hind served in a role similar to the Cobra
in Vietnam, escorting troop transports in assaults on guerilla concentrations. But like
the French in Algeria and the Americans in Vietnam, the Soviets faced an enemy that
enjoyed considerable freedom of movement, superior knowledge of the terrain and had
the will to fight. The Mujahadeen also had U.S. made Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, a
great threat to the Soviet helicopter forces.
One Soviet soldier said after the war, You could tell when a landing zone was really
hot by the number of assault troops they put on a helicopter. The more men a (Hind) had
to land, the longer it was vulnerable to guerilla fire. If you had four or five to a helicopter,
it wasnt too bad. If you had two or three to a helicopter, you knew it was really bad.
As the threat to Soviet helicopters increased, more and more infrared decoys
(essentially flares) were carried to draw away the Stingers of the Mujahadeen. And the
Soviets also reportedly deployed chemical weapons in large numbers from Hinds.
GRENADA - OPERATION
URGENT FURY

64

In 1983, the U.S. and a coalition of Caribbean States invaded the isle of Grenada to
overthrow the oppressive Marxist military junta that had recently taken power.
During the invasion, code-named Operation Urgent Fury, U.S. Army and Marine
forces met stiff resistance from Cuban advisor forces, and fought a heavily armed and
fortified force holed up in the islands fortress prison. AH-1 Cobra gunships proved their
versatility and, unfortunately, their vulnerability during engagements with these forces.
Army Cobras and Marine SeaCobras provided close air support and assaulted the
fortress with TOW missiles, but two of them were lost to ground fire.
Other Marine helicopter forces were used in the mission to rescue American
students at the St. Georges Medical School. These Marine Sea Knights were used as well
for vertical envelopment assaults on the island in the early stages of the operation.

Lasting only a few days, the operation is not considered to be one of the high points
in U.S. military history. Its generally felt that U.S. forces will ill-prepared for the level of
opposition, and rushed into the operation with too little planning. In any event, its effects
went a long way to shape the future of helicopter operations.
THE APACHE IS BORN

In the early '70s, the U.S. Army sought a heavy gunship in the form of the AH-56
Cheyenne. The program was cancelled, however, and for the remainder of the decade, the
only heavy helicopter gunships in the U.S. inventory were on paper. The Cobra was called
upon to fill the gap.
The 70s saw an increased emphasis on the anti-armor capability of the helicopter
gunship. With the addition of the TOW missile to the Cobra (and later the SuperCobra),
and similar weapons to the helicopters of other nations, the gunship was becoming a real
force multiplier, with greater anti-armor capability than most ground units.
In 1976, the Hughes Aircraft began design work for the all-weather heavy helicopter
gunship, the AH-64 Apache. It would be stuck in development for another six years before
the production line got rolling. In the meantime, the U.S. invaded Grenada in 1983. The
Cobra provided the only dedicated gunship capabilities available at the time.
Now fully operational, the Apache is the front-line anti-armor aircraft of the U.S.
Army. The AH-64 marks the true beginning of a new generation of helicopter gunships
- highly automated, heavily armed, and capable of combat in all weather, night or day.
While the airframe is essentially a conventional helicopter, the advanced electronic
systems aboard the Apache make it the link to future helicopter gunships. It is being
considered for a number of other mission areas, including anti- ship missions.
There is still a great deal over debate as to which type of helicopter technology should
be the basis of the next generation of gunship.

PANAMA - OPERATION
JUST CAUSE

In the early months of 1989, relations between the U.S. government and the regime
of General Manuel Noriega in Panama were rapidly deteriorating, and by the end of
spring, events had reached a flash-point. After a number of violent incidents, including
the killing of an off-duty American soldier by Panamanian Defense Force (PDF) troops,
the crisis escalated, and the United States mounted an invasion of Panama to remove
General Noriega and put the elected president of Panama in power. Operation Just Cause,
as the invasion was called by the military, lasted only a few days, but it demonstrated the
lethality of modern weapons.
Operation Just Cause saw the first use of Apache helicopters in actual combat. AH64A Apaches were used in the attack on the PDF Commendancia in downtown Panama
City - the helicopters were used against targets on individual floors of the building.
Ground based laser designators were utilized to pinpoint the targets for the deadly
accurate Hellfire missiles.
While, there was no opposition to U.S. helicopters during the operation, the Apache
proved itself an effective weapon nonetheless.

65

THE PERSIAN GULF OPERATIONS DESERT

STORM & SABRE

66

The Apache would get its first real test on the battlefield during the quick and bloody
war with Iraq in January and February of 1991. On August 5, 1990, Saddam Husseins
army invaded the city-state of Kuwait, and Hussein proclaimed its annexation. The
United States quickly mobilized a coalition of nations to come to the defense of Saudi
Arabia, and began putting pressure on Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait.
By January, the United States had completed the largest deployment of troops since
Vietnam, and was ready to take back Kuwait by force. With the aid of the British, Italian,
French, Saudi and Kuwaiti air forces, an air offensive was launched on January 16
against Iraqi forces in Kuwait and Iraq. Apache gunships played a significant role in the
early air campaign, attacking Iraqi positions in Kuwait and Iraq.
The first mission for the AH-64 came during the first hours of the war. On the night
of January 17, Apaches were sent in to take out two Iraqi electronics installations near
the Saudi-Iraqi border. The Apaches launched Hellfire missiles at several targets in
Kuwait and Iraq, including mobile air defense sites and electronics sites. All objective
targets were destroyed. In some cases, it was reported that Special Forces troops provided
forward laser designation for Hellfires launched by Apache gunships.
The night-fighting abilities of the Apache were used heavily during the first phase
of the war. Apaches were used against a variety of fortified targets during night
operations, including Iraqi artillery batteries and and radar sites. Iraqi forces attempted
to begin the ground war on their own terms in early February, by invading the Saudi
coastal city of Kafji. Apache helicopters took part in a nighttime assault on the Iraqi
armored forces there, and during combat accidentally fired on U.S. armored vehicles,
killing two American soldiers. This incident highlights the hazard of the modern
battlefield, where smoke, fire and darkness can make it difficult to separate the enemy
from friendlies on the ground.
With allied air superiority established, Apache gunships and other helicopter forces
raided the Iraqi rear at will. On February 20, OH-58D Kiowa Warriors and AH-64 A
Apaches destroyed fifteen to thirty Iraqi bunkers in Kuwait, and 421 Iraqi soldiers
surrendered to them. Only one US serviceman was killed in the operation.
In the early hours of February 24, a combined allied air-ground offensive began. The
operation, code named Desert Sabre, lasted 100 hours, and nearly completely destroyed
the Iraqi armed forces in and near Kuwait. Apache and Cobra gunships played an
important part in the offensive, taking part in some of the largest armored battles since
World War Two. In fact, the first shots fired during the operation were by Apache
gunships.
The 1st Marine Division was assigned one of the more difficult missions of the offensive
- a frontal assault on Iraqi defensive lines in Kuwait. After punching through Iraqi
fortifications, the division pushed on toward Kuwait City. In a battle with an Iraqi
armored brigade and mechanized infantry brigade near the Burquan oil fields, Marine
AH-1W SuperCobras and ground forces destroyed about 30 enemy vehicles. This battle
proved to be only a prelude to the tank battle that would follow at Kuwait International
Airport, where an estimated 310 Iraqi tanks were destroyed.

To the west, the 101st Airborne began a heliborne assault into Iraq, with over 460
Blackhawk, Apache and other helicopters. Their operation, nicknamed Cobra, severed
Iraqi roads along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and cut off the only Iraqi escape route
to the north.
On February 28, the operation ended, having taken over 80,000 Iraqi POWs and
having destroyed or rendered ineffective at least 40 of the 42 Iraqi divisions. No US
aircraft were downed during the last phase of the war - a tribute to the level of organization
planning employed and to the men and women that took part in the operation.
The operation more than reaffirmed the role of the helicopter in modern combat
operations.
THE U. S. ARMY

Today, the Army deploys its helicopters as integral parts of nearly every type of
division, from light infantry to heavy armor. As a result, the battlefield commander of any
Army formation will have some organic air support within his assets. The highest
concentration of helicopters of all types is within the airborne and air assault divisions;
within a typical air assault division, for example, there is one full squadron of air cavalry
and an aviation brigade consisting of eight helicopter battalions.
The air cavalry squadrons primary missions are airmobility and reconnaissance,
so its aircraft will be of the troop transport variety UH-60 Blackhawks and probably
a few UH-1 Hueys . In addition, the squadron will have some AH-1 Cobra gunships for
escort and air reconnaissance.
A squadron will usually have about 950 soldiers assigned to it: 70 commissioned
officers, 100 warrant officers and 780 enlisted men. These personnel are divided among
the squadrons four troops and headquarters troop. A single troop of air cavalry will
have about 200 men assigned, with 15 commissioned officers and 32 warrant officers among
them.
The aviation brigade within an air assault division is made up of some 1000
personnel, and is broken down into four mission groups: assault, medium lift, command,
and attack. Two assault helicopter battalions are dedicated to the combat troop
transport mission , and are equipped with UH-60s. The medium lift helicopter battalion,
equipped with CH-47 Chinook cargo helicopters, provides logistical air support for the
division, while the command helicopter battalion provides administrative, scouting, and
command and control support for the division commander with its UH-1 Hueys and OH58 Kiowa scouts.
The other four battalions of helicopters in the aviation brigade are attack helicopter
battalions. These units are equipped with a mixture of aircraft, including AH-64
Apaches, OH-58 Kiowas and probably some AH-1S SuperCobras. These units are
manned by some 20 commissioned officers, 44 warrant officers, and 177 enlisted men
per battalion.
In addition to these air assets, the division will also have an air ambulance company
assigned to its medical battalion, equipped with UH-60 and UH-1 helicopters and
dedicated to air medical evacuation.

67

The number and type of helicopters that are assigned to a unit may vary with the
theater of operations that they are assigned to and their level of readiness. There are large
numbers of helicopters considered obsolete for front line troops that have been widely
spread through the Armys aviation reserve units. As demonstrated during Operations
Desert Shield, Storm & Sabre, these units may quickly find themselves on or near the
front line of any conflict of arms.
The number and type of helicopters assigned to a mission group during operations
will also vary widely, depending on the theater of operations, the mission objective, and
other forces deployed in the area. For example, a formation of Apaches may be supported
by Special Forces units on the ground ( with laser designators for their Hellfire missiles),
or they may need a Kiowa scout configured for laser designation to accompany them if
there are no forward forces to support them. The terrain, battlefield conditions, and
weather may all be factors in deciding the number and type of aircraft to assign to any
specific mission.

68

FLYING THE HELICOPTER

Flying a helicopter is a lesson in the physics of vectors. It places a great demand on
the ability of the pilot to simultaneously control each of the factors affecting the flight of
his aircraft. The following material only begins to scratch the surface of the intricacies
of rotary-wing flight.
THE BASIC FORCES

The four basic forces, or vectors, that act on all aircraft are gravity (which pulls the
craft down), lift (which pushes it up), thrust (which moves the craft horizontally), and drag
(resistance against thrust). These four forces, and to what degree they act on an aircraft
determine if and how well it flies. Changing the weight, lifting surfaces, thrusting power
and airframe shape all change the vectors that act on an aircraft and, consequently,
change its flight characteristics.

LIFT, THRUST AND THE

HELICOPTER

Helicopters and airplanes both get their lift from an airfoil - a shape that creates lift
from relative motion through the air. An airfoil is shaped so that air moving across the
top of it must travel farther than air crossing along its bottom; this creates a condition
known as the Venturi Effect, in which an area of low air pressure is created above the
airfoil. As a result, the airfoil is drawn upward into the low pressure area, creating a lifting
force.
Conventional airplanes depend on the relative motion of air across their fixed wings,
caused by forward motion, to create the lift necessary for them to get and remain
airborne. As a result, lift for an airplane follows the thrust of its engines; the more
thrust available, the more lift an airplane can get out of its wings, or the less wing
surface it needs to generate that lift.
Helicopters, on the other hand, get all of their lift and thrust from one source - the
rotor blades; these are the helicopters wings. Since the helicopter spins its lifting
surfaces through the air, it creates the relative motion necessary to generate lift without
having to move the whole helicopter through the air. This is why helicopters can hover
and maneuver at low speeds.
Unlike the wing of an airplane, the blades of a helicopters rotor are symmetrical the top and bottom of each blade is shaped the same. Thus, if they were allowed to spin
perfectly flat, they would provide no lift at all. The difference in surface area needed to
create lift is achieved by changing the pitch, or angle of the blades. By increasing the tilt
of the rotor blades, a helicopter can essentially take a bigger bite out of the air and create
more lift.
The helicopters directional thrust - the force that moves it horizontally - is created
by tilting the plane of the rotor blades spin. When the rotor is tilted, it pulls the helicopter
in the direction of the tilt, as well as providing lift.
There are four basic configurations for helicopter rotors. The most common is what
the British call penny and farthing - the single overhead rotor with a smaller stabilizing
tail rotor. The smaller rotor counteracts the torque generated by the main rotor. Another

69

common rotor configuration is the twin tandem - two

rotors, one forward and one aft. The rotors revolve in
opposite directions to counter act each others torque.
The twin side-by-side is not very common among
military helicopters. In this configuration, the rotors are
mounted on the side of the helicopter, and often intermesh.
Several commercial helicopters manufactured by Kaman
used this design. The coaxial rotor configuration is most
commonly used by Soviet helicopter designers, and can be
seen in the Hormone, Helix, and the new Hokum helicopters. Two counter-rotating sets of rotor blades revolve
about the same axis, counteracting each others torque.

Rotor Configuration

Penny-Farthing

Twin-Tandem

Twin Side-by-Side

Twin-Intermeshed

Twin-Coaxial

70

DISSYMETRY AND ASYMMETRY OF LIFT

Since a helicopters rotor blades spin about an axis,
the relative speed of air over the rotor blades is slower
toward the inside of the blade and faster toward the tip of
the blade. This means that a greater amount of lift will be
created at the tips of the blades, so the blades will tend to
bend up at the ends. This phenomena is known as
dissymetry of lift.
Also, if the helicopter is moving forward, one side of
the rotor (the side spinning toward the direction of movement) will have a higher relative air speed than the other
(spinning away from the direction of movement). This
effect is called asymmetry of lift. The effect, first noted by
Juan de la Cierva during his development of the autogiro
in the 1920s, tends to make rotary-winged aircraft roll to
one side unless it is compensated for. In most cases,
helicopter designers have adjusted to this effect by hinging
the blades, allowing them to rise slightly while they spin
forward.
TORQUE
Since the helicopters rotor blades are spinning, another force is exerted on the helicopter - torque. When a
helicopter has only one rotor, the torque generated by that
rotor tends to turn the helicopter in a direction opposite of
the spin of the rotor blades. This is counteracted in most
helicopters by a tail rotor, which pushes back against the
torque. In helicopters with two rotor blades, the rotors spin
in opposite directions and the torque is cancelled out.

Torque can also be used to the helicopters advantage.

Torque, in conjunction with the tail rotor, can be used to
help turn the helicopter in flight, and pivot the helicopter
about its axis when it's hovering.

Blade Tip Speed

130
420
550

130

Advancing
blade

290 Retreating
blade

420

Torque

130

BLADE STALL AND AIR COMPRESSIBILITY

There are two properties of helicopter flight which
significantly limit the top speed of all helicopters. The first
of these is called blade stall. As a helicopter accelerates its
forward flight, its rotor tilts forward, adding thrust. As it
does so, the angle of attack, or the angle of the blades in
relation to the direction of flight of the retreating blades
becomes steeper. When the helicopter exceeds its maximum speed, this angle becomes too great, and the retreating blades stall - they cease to provide lift - just as an
airplane stalls when flying at too low a speed.
The second speed-limiting factor affecting helicopters
is the compressibility of air. The faster the rotor spins, the
greater the airspeed of the advancing blades; when the
relative speed of the advancing rotor blades exceeds the
speed of sound, a wave of compressed air, known as a

Retreating Blade

Region of
blade tip
stall
Region of
reversed
flow

71

Collective/Cyclic

Flat Spin

Collective Up

Cyclic Forward

72

shock wave, forms in front of the blades, increasing the drag on the blades
and possibly decreasing lift.
THE CONTROLS
A helicopter requires both hands (and both feet) on the controls at all
times. Helicopters are controlled in flight by three pilot inputs: the cyclic
and collective sticks (which occupy the hands), and the rudder pedals
(which are controlled by the feet of the pilot).
The cyclic controls the attitude of the helicopter - its direction and
degree of tilt. This affects the horizontal direction and speed of flight, by
adjusting the direction of thrust from the rotor. Direction of flight as
controlled by the cyclic is independent of heading (the direction the
helicopter is pointing); this enables a helicopter to fly forward, backward
or sideways.
The collective controls the lifting and thrusting force of the rotor
blades by altering their pitch - taking a bigger or smaller bite out of the
air. While the helicopter is in a hover, the collective controls the vertical
thrust (lift) of the helicopter. The collective is often combined with, and
always used in conjunction with the engine throttle, to adjust the engines
power to the demand of the collective.
The rudder pedals control the heading of the helicopter - the direction
it points in. Using the pedals, a pilot can turn a helicopter about the axis
of its rotor blades while in a hover. Using the foot pedals in combination
with the cyclic control when the helicopter is in forward flight enables it
to make a very tight turn.
HOVERING
To hover a helicopter, the cyclic must be held at center, so that the
helicopter does not gain airspeed in any direction. The collective controls
keep the helicopter at a constant altitude, while the rudder pedals keep
the helicopter pointed in one direction. Since the air is a dynamic
environment, the pilot must constantly adjust these controls to maintain
the hover.
When a helicopter is in a hover or in slow forward flight close to the
ground, it creates an effect known as ground cushion. Air forced down by
the rotors cannot escape quickly and is compressed between the helicopter and the ground. This, in turn, increases the efficiency of the helicopters
engine and rotor blades.
To accelerate a helicopter forward from a hover, the pilot pushes the
cyclic forward and pulls up on the collective. More lift is generated by the
rotors as the collective is pulled up, and this lift is converted to forward
thrust as the rotor (and the helicopter) is tilted forward by the collective.

ACCELERATING
FORWARD

LEVEL FLIGHT

TAKEOFF AND
LANDING

STEPPING ON THE
BRAKES

As the helicopter shifts from a hover to forward flight, the helicopter settles toward
the ground. This is because of a slight loss of lift as some of the helicopters lift is converted
to thrust, and as it slips off the ground cushion. But when the helicopter has gained
some forward momentum, it also gains what is called translational lift - the additional
lift generated by the relative motion created in horizontal flight. As the helicopter
accelerates forward, the translational lift grows. However, this additional lifting efficiency
is cancelled out by other effects once the helicopter reaches about 90 kts forward speed.
When the helicopter is in straight, level flight, the cyclic controls airspeed for the
most part, while the collective maintains altitude. When climbing or descending, the
cyclic maintains the airspeed of the helicopter while the collective increases or decreases
lift as required. Since an increase or decrease in collective often corresponds with an
increase or decrease in throttle, the torque of the helicopter may increase or decrease
during altitude changes. This means the rudder pedals need to be adjusted constantly
to match the torque on the helicopter.
Helicopter takeoff usually consists of two maneuvers - going into a hover, and
forward, climbing flight. First, the pilot lifts off the ground vertically using increased
throttle and collective, maintaining horizontal position as in a hover but adding more
collective to pull the aircraft upward. Then, the pilot pushes the cyclic forward and pulls
up on the collective to attain airspeed and climb to altitude.
Whenever possible, helicopter takeoff should be done into the wind, to prevent drift
during takeoff. The pilot should also pick some reference point on the ground to keep his
heading steady on during the initial acceleration.
Landing is essentially a reverse process - descending forward flight to a point above
the landing point, and a gradually descending hover to the ground. All descent should
be stopped when the helicopter goes into the hover.
The helicopter should not be allowed to drift horizontally while touching down, as
it could easily tip over. This could lead to the pilot and crew eating pieces of shattered
rotor blade. Also, it is important that the collective be handled gently during landing, as
too rapid a descent can prove dangerous. At best, a very expensive aircraft is bounced
off the ground, and several vertebrae are compressed.
There may be occasion where it becomes necessary to rapidly slow down horizontal
flight - a large, impassable obstacle ahead, or some other condition that might have a
negative impact on the service life of the helicopter. In such a situation, care should be
taken by the pilot to maintain altitude and avoid wild changes in heading. Coordinated,
simultaneous use of the controls is essential.
To put on the brakes , the pilot lets down on the collective and pulls back on the
cyclic at the same time, while adjusting the rudder to prevent a wild swing in heading.
As the helicopter slows to the desired speed, the pilot levels the craft by pushing forward
again on the cyclic (to prevent the helicopter from settling tail-first and hitting the ground)
and adjusting the collective (to maintain altitude).

73

HELICOPTER TACTICS
One of the great handicaps of helicopter combat is that there is nowhere to hide in
the sky. Anti-aircraft artillery (AAA), surface-to-air missiles, enemy fighters and helicopters, and ground fire from small automatic weapons can swat a helicopter from the sky.
With the wide proliferation of man-portable, high-tech weapons like the Stinger, SA-7
Grail, and SA-14 Gremlin missiles, the open skies are an even more dangerous place for
slow-flying helicopters than before. To survive, the pilot must be able to use the unique
flight characteristics of the helicopter to his advantage.
One of the most commonly used defensive maneuvers for helicopters is nap-of-theearth (NOE) flying. In this type of flying, the helicopter follows the contour of the earth,
in almost all respects becoming a ground vehicle. This type of flying demands a great deal
of skill. But if the pilot doesnt hit a tree or hill, he gains a great deal more security on
the battlefield from SAMs and AAA. Exposure to fire from enemy units is minimized
because the helicopter is masked by the terrain for a majority of its flight, and the
helicopter gains a degree of surprise.
HELICOPTER VS. TANKS
AND GROUND UNITS

The maneuverability of helicopters gives them the best of both worlds when it comes
to combat with ground forces; they can use the terrain to their advantage, and then fly
above it when it becomes an impediment. This ability gives the helicopter gunship the
ability to ambush enemy ground forces whenever the terrain permits.
Ambush tactics for gunships date back to the Vietnam War, when Huey Cobras
patrolled the Ho Chi Minh trail. The most common ambush maneuver is the pop-up the helicopter masks itself behind a tree line, house, or other terrain feature, and then
pops up from behind its hiding place to deliver the attack. The usual minimum number
of helicopters for an ambush attack is three, by NATO doctrine.
A pop-up is only necessary to use direct-fire weapons - weapons that require the
target to be in a line of sight. With the Apaches Hellfire laser-guided anti-tank missiles,
the Apache does not even need to pop up. Another helicopter or a forward observer can
designate the target with a laser, and the Apache can fire from cover.
Another weapon that offers virtually no exposure time to enemy fire is the submunition-type anti-armor system attack. This attack relies on a pattern of multi-purpose
bomblets from exploding unguided rockets. The helicopter makes its approach shielded
by the terrain, then pulls up and fires, and turns toward the rear, immediately returning
to NOE flight to avoid enemy fire.

HELICOPTER VS.
HELICOPTER

The first all-helicopter dogfight on record occurred during the Iran-Iraq war, when
an Iraqi Hind shot down an Iranian Cobra. Even before this event, it was widely assumed
that in any large-scale conflict of the future, helicopters would meet other helicopters in
air combat. The Soviets have even designed a helicopter for the single purpose of air-toair combat operations (the Hokum).

74

Helicopter-to-helicopter combat tactics are an evolution of the combat tactics used

first by fighter pilots in World War One. The unique maneuvering abilities of the
helicopter add some considerations to the equation, but the old problems are essentially
the same - how to convert velocity and altitude into a shooting position.
If approached from behind, the first instinct of many helicopter pilots is to brake
hard to force the enemy to overshoot. To recover from an overshoot, helicopter pilots have
developed a maneuver known as the High Yo-Yo. When the target brakes, the attacker
pulls up hard to avoid an overshoot, converting airspeed into altitude, and then
maneuvers to the six-oclock position (directly behind the target) and drops down for
the attack.
Rather than braking hard, a pilot finding himself in front of an oncoming attacker
might execute a maneuver known as the Horizontal Scissors. In this maneuver, the pilot
turns hard to one side and reduces forward velocity. The attacker is forced to turn to
follow, and the pilot then turns hard in the opposite direction. The attacker is forced to
reverse his turn and is forced out in front of the defender, who is now in a position to take
a shot.
When faced with an attacker in close proximity, a helicopter pilot can use a
maneuver developed by the U.S. Marines known as the Side Flare Quick Stop. The pilot
pulls up hard and flares to one side, forcing the attacker to overshoot. Now behind the
opponent, the pilot dives down into the six-oclock position and has the enemy in his
sights.
When meeting an adversary from an opposite direction, a pilot can use a maneuver
known as a Stern Conversion. The pilot accelerates and performs a hard, banking turn
called a wing-over (similar to the maneuver used in World War Two movies by pilots
turning out of formation for an attack run). The pilot then performs a turning dive into
attack position behind the enemy aircraft.
As of yet, these tactics are fairly theoretical- none have been truly proven in combat.
But it is clear that pilots will use some derivative of them in any future conflict where
helicopters meet over the battlefield.

75

High Yo-Yo
Attacker pulls
high to avoid an
overshoot
Defender
breaks
hard

Horizontal Scissors

Attacker
maneuvering
for 6-o'clock
position
Helicopter
turns hard to
reduce
forward
speed

Side Flare Quick Stop

Deceleration and
side flare starts

Stern Conversion

Attacker climbs
and accelerates
into 6-o'clock
position

Threat
overshoots

Attacker
increases
rate of turn

Attacker
accelerates
and performs
wing-over

Turning dive
into attack
position
Threat
approaching
head-on

76

4. EQUIPMENT &
ORGANIZATION
DATA FORMAT
LENGTH, WIDTH,
HEIGTH, WEIGHT &
DIAMETER
CREW/PASS

All are expressed in metric measurements. Metric measurements are used because
most armies, including the U.S. Army, utilize the metric system. Vehicles list fully loaded
combat weights. Aircraft list maximum take-off weights.
The crew is the normal fighting complement of the vehicle or aircraft - the men who
remain aboard in combat situations.
While most all vehicles can carry passengers in some form or another, only those that
are specifically built for transport, or provide a modicum of cover, list passengers. The
passengers frequently dismount in combat.

ENGINE

The horsepower (hp) and type of the main engine(s). Helicopter engines are rated in
shaft horsepower (shp). Fixed-wing aircraft engines are rated in pounds of static
thrust (lb st). AB indicates afterburner capability.

MAX SPEED

For vehicles, this is maximum rated road speed in kilometers per hour (kph). For
aircraft and ships, this is the maximum level speed in knots (kts) at sea level.

RATE OF
CLIMB

For helicopters, this is the vertical rate of climb from hover in feet per second (ft/sec).
In most case, the maximum rate of climb is about twice this value.

SERVICE
CEILING

The maximum attainable altitude with a nominal weapon load. The Rules of
Engagement (ROE) for a Theater of Operations (TO) normally limit the maximum altitude
to a much lower value.

MAIN GUN

The size and type of the main gun, if any. All guns are rifled unless SB (smoothbore)
is indicated. For guns other than machine-guns (MG), the number of rounds carried (rds)
is also indicated.

MISSILES

The name and type of missile carried. Aircraft and ships will also list the predominate
non-missile weapons. Please note that other weapon systems could also be carried.

WEAPON
LOAD

For aircraft, this is the maximum weapon load. More often than not, aircraft fly with
less than their rated maximum load.

77

SEC GUNS
ARMOR
WHATS IN
A NAME

78

Many vehicles mount one or more secondary weapons, usually machine-guns, for
local ground and air defense.
Vehicle armor thickness is expressed as Heavy, Medium, Light or None.
You may wonder where the Soviets came up with all those weird names? Well, the
names listed for most of the Soviet equipment are in reality NATO designations, not the
real Soviet names. These NATO designations utilize the first letter of the units type to
formulate the name. Thats why Soviet fighter aircraft have names begining with an F,
helicopters with an H, air-to-air missiles with an A, and so on.
The reason is twofold. First of all, the Russian language is not that easy to read or
pronounce; secondly, the actual names are sometimes not known until years after the
unit has been spotted or released - afterall, you have to call it something.

YOUR HELICOPTERS &

WEAPON SYSTEMS
AH-64A Apache Gunship

AH-64A APACHE GUNSHIP

In the mid-1960s, after the AH-56 Cheyenne program failed to
meet required developmental specifications (too expensive and
too complex), the US Army was left without an advanced attack
helicopter. At that time, the AH-1 Cobra was considered to be only
a near-term step. The search continued, and the contract for the
Apache was finally awarded in 1976; the first Apache entered
service in 1986. The Apache is now considered to be the premier
helicopter gunship.
Avionics: Includes a full suite of advanced commumication
systems, navigational flight aids and survivability systems. The
target acquisition/designation sight and pilots night vision sensor (TADS/PNVS) are the heart of the avionics package. These
linked systems include an auto-focus thermal imager, laser
ranger/designator and TV camera. Both are integrated into a
helmet-mounted sighting system. IR signature is reduced by the
Black Hole System. An airborne target handoff subsystem (ATHS)
data link is also included.
Weight:
9.5 tons
Crew/Pass: 2/0
Length:
17.8 m
Width:
5.3 m
Height:
4.7 m
Rotor Diameter: 14.6 m
Engine: two 1,696 shp

Max Speed: 160 kts

Rate of Climb: 42 ft/sec
Service Ceiling: 21,000 ft
Main Gun: 30mm, 1200 rds
Missiles: Hellfire ATGM,
Rockets
Weapon Load: 3.5 tons

79

AH-64C Longbow Apache Gunship

AH-64C LONGBOW APACHE GUNSHIP

A natural follow-on to the AH-64A, the Longbow Apache will
feature a number of mid-life product improvements, but will be
built around the new millimeter-wave radar guided Hellfire
weapon system. This system includes an integrated mast-mounted
sight. The MMW Hellfire is a true fire-and-forget weapon. Its
seeker head will guide itself to the target; a target designator is not
required. Its also longer ranged, and suffers less degradation
from rain, fog and smoke than FLIRs & thermal imagers. These
upgrades will make the Longbow Apache and the Comanche
unbeatable stable mates.
Avionics: Will be an upgrade to the current Apache systems, but
changes will mainly involve the target type discriminating MMW
systems and related subsystems.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Length:
Width:
Height:
Rotor Diam:
Engine:

AH-1W SuperCobra Gunship

9.7 tons
2/0
17.8 m
5.3 m
5.6 m
14.6 m
two 1,696 shp

Max Speed: 160 kts

Rate of Climb: 40 ft/sec
Service Ceiling: 21,000 ft
Main Gun: 30mm,1200 rds
Missiles: MMW Hellfire
ATGM, Rockets
Weapon Load: 3.5 tons

AH-1W SUPERCOBRA GUNSHIP

The first AH-1 Cobra was built from the UH-1 Huey airframe, and
saw combat in Vietnam. The Cobra has gone through many
modifications and model changes. The W model is the latest
SuperCobra iteration (it became known as the SuperCobra on or
about the S model). While its currently only fielded by the US
Marines, the US Army is soon expected to upgrade to W
standards.
Avionics: Includes a full suite of commumication systems,
navigational flight aids and survivability systems. The nose
mounted night targeting system (NTS) includes a FLIR, laser
ranger/designator and TOW fire controls. This system is integrated with the helmet-mounted sighting system. An airborne
target handoff subsystem (ATHS) data link is also included.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Length:
Width:
Height:
Rotor Diam:
Engine:

80

7.6 tons
2/0
17.7 m
3.3 m
4.3 m
14.6 m
two 1,690 shp

Max Speed: 170 kts

Rate of Climb: 45 ft/sec
Service Ceiling: 14,000 ft
Main Gun: 20mm, 750 rds
Missiles: Hellfire & TOW
ATGM, Rockets
Weapon Load: 1.4 tons

AH-66A Comanche Gunship/Scout Helicopter

AH-66A COMANCHE GUNSHIP/SCOUT HELICOPTER

In 1982 the US Army invited manufacturers to submit design
concepts for its Light Helicopter Experimental (LHX) program.
The original procurement called for 5,000 units to replace UH-1,
AH-1, OH-58 and OH-6 airframes; this was later revised to 2,096
units (the UH-1Huey follow-on was eliminated). The LHX, now
designated the AH-66A Comanche, will feature many advances in
helicopter technology, including all-composite airframe construction, advanced bearingless rotor system and retractable
landing gear. Stealth technologies will be employed where feasible. Its tandem cockpit seats the pilot in the front seat.
Avionics: Includes the most advanced systems to date. All will be
fly-by-wire technology. All systems are integrated into the wide
field-of-view helmet sighting/targeting system. MFDs will dominate the console, and the architecture will be of the same
generation as US Air Forces Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF).
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Length:
Width:
Height:
Rotor Diam:
Engine:

OH-58D Kiowa Warrior Scout Helicopter

7.5 tons
2/0
13.2 m
2.3 m
3.4 m
11.9 m
two 1,200 shp

Max Speed: 170 kts

Rate of Climb: 40 ft/sec
Service Ceiling: 15,000 ft
Main Gun: 20mm, 500 rds
Missiles: Hellfire ATGM,
Rockets, Stinger
Weapon Load: 2.5 tons

OH-58D KIOWA WARRIOR SCOUT HELICOPTER

The first OH-58s saw service in the Vietnam War. It had been
selected as the replacement for the OH-6 Cayuse. It also has seen
great commercial success as the JetRanger. The Kiowa Warrior is
considered to be only the near-term scout helicopter. Its scheduled to be replaced in the mid-1990s by the AH-66A Comanche.
The US Army plans to field a total of 477 OH-58Ds, by upgrading
OH-58A models to OH-58D standards.
Avionics: Mast-mounted sight includes auto-focusing thermal
imager, laser ranger/designator and TV camera. The airborne
target handoff subsystem (ATHS) enables remote targeting for the
Hellfire missile.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Length:
Width:
Height:
Rotor Diam:
Engine:

2.0 tons
2/0
12.9 m
2.0 m
3.9 m
10.7 m
one 650 shp

Max Speed: 120 kts

Rate of Climb: 20 ft/sec
Service Ceiling: 12,000 ft
Main Gun: None
Missiles: Hellfire ATGM,
Rockets, Stinger
Weapon Load: .4 tons

81

UH-60K/L Blackhawk Assault Helicopter

UH-60K/L BLACKHAWK ASSAULT HELICOPTER

As a replacement for the UH-1 Iroquois Transport Helicopter (the
famous Huey), the Blackhawk entered service in 1979. Designed
primarily to transport 11 fully equipped troops, its spacious cabin
enables it to also be used, without modification, for medevac,
supply and command functions. The external stores support
system (ESSS) can carry a significant number of weapons. The K
& L models entered service in 1988.
Avionics: Includes a full suite of communication systems, navigational flight aids, including advanced AFCS subsystem, and
survivability systems. UHF satellite communication is also available. IR signature is reduced by the hover infrared suppressor
(HIRSS) system.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Length:
Width:
Height:
Rotor Diam:
Engine:

AH-6G Defender Light Gunship/Scout Helicopter

10.0 tons
3/11
17.7 m
5.5 m
5.1 m
16.4 m
two 1,560 shp

Max Speed: 160 kts

Rate of Climb: 32 ft/sec
Service Ceiling: 19,000 ft
Main Gun: None
Missiles: Hellfire ATGM,
Rockets, Gun Pods
Weapon Load: 4.6 tons

AH-6G DEFENDER LIGHT GUNSHIP/SCOUT HELICOPTER

The original Defender dates back to the Vietnam War, where it
saw action as the OH-6A Cayuse LOH (Light Observation Helicopter - Loach). The AH-6G is based on the commerical MD530
helicopter. A compact integrated crew station with multiple
MFDs enhances this helicopters field of view. Its designed
primarily for day or night point attack and anti-armor missions,
but is equally suitable for scout missions.
Avionics: Includes a full suite of communication systems, navigational flight aids and survivability systems. Mast-mounted
sight includes FLIR, laser ranger and TOW fire controls.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Length:
Width:
Height:
Rotor Diam:
Engine:

82

1.4 tons
2/3
9.8 m
3.2 m
3.0 m
8.3 m
one 650 shp

Max Speed: 120 kts

Rate of Climb: 28 ft/sec
Service Ceiling: 16,000 ft
Main Gun: 7.62mm MG
Missiles: TOW ATGM,
Rockets
Weapon Load: .7 tons

M230 30mm Chaingun

M230 30MM CHAINGUN

Primary armament on the Apaches. The chaingun is a single
barrelled, externally powered weapon thats driven by a simple
chain mechanism. The chain literally pulls the rounds of ammunition through the gun, therefore greatly reducing the chance of
a jam. The chaingun configuration is lighter than gatling guns.
Weight: 55.9 kg
Rate-of-Fire: 625 rpm
Aiming Mechanism: Helmet Mounted Sight or Gunners Sight
Primary Target: Medium armored or unprotected targets

M197 20mm Gatling Gun

M197 20MM GATLING GUN

Primary armament on the SuperCobra. The M197 is a lightweight, externally powered 3-barrelled variation of of the M61A1
20mm Vulcan 6-barrelled fighter aircraft weapon. It uses the
gatling gun principle of rotating barrels around a common axis.
This makes for a high rate-of-fire and limits jamming.
Weight: 66 kg
Rate-of-Fire: 3,000 rpm
Aiming Mechanism: Helmet Mounted Sight or Gunners Sight
Primary Target: Lightly armored or unprotected targets

SUU-11B/A Minigun Pod

SUU-11B/A MINIGUN POD

The minigun is a 7.62mm development of the M61A1 20mm
Vulcan 6-barrelled gatling gun. Its available as a wing mounted
pod weapon on the Blackhawk, SuperCobra, Kiowa Warrior or
Defender, and its also the fixed gun weapon on the Defender. It
provides excellent area suppressive fire for a small cost in weight.
Weight: 147 kg, with 1,500 rds
Rate-of-Fire: 2,000/4,000 rpm
Aiming Mechanism: Direct fire along axis of flight
Primary Target: Unprotected targets

83

GPU-2/A Gun Pod

GPU-2/A GUN POD

The GPU-2/A is basically an M197 20mm 3-barrelled gatling gun
in pod form. Its a totally self-contained unit with gun and
ammunition. It even has its own rechargeable power source. All the
pilot needs to do is aim and fire. Its available as a wing mounted
pod weapon on the Blackhawk, SuperCobra, Kiowa Warrior or
Defender.
Weight: 270 kg, with 300 rds
Rate-of-Fire: 1,500 rpm
Aiming Mechanism: Direct fire along axis of flight
Primary Target: Lightly armored or unprotected targets

Viper 20mm Gatling Gun

VIPER 20MM GATLING GUN

Primary armament on the Comanche. The Viper is a lightweight 2barrelled cannon. It uses an all new configuration, but is still based
on the gatling gun principle of rotating barrels around a common
axis. Its speculated that it fires a more effective round of ammunition than the standard M197 20mm cannnon round.
Weight: 50 kg
Rate-of-Fire: 2,000 rpm
Aiming Mechanism: Helmet Mounted Sight
Primary Target: Lightly armored or unprotected targets

AIM-92 Stinger AAM

AIM-92 STINGER AAM

The air-launched version of the Stinger has been in operation since
1988. Based on the excellent man-portable system, this version
combines a new dual color IR & UV seeker head and a
reprogrammable microprocessor (RPM). The missiles are mounted
in a twin missile pod system. The Stinger is a very effective
lightweight missile.
Weight: 47 kg, twin launcher
Maximum Firing Range: under 10 km
Guidance System: IR homing
Primary Target: short range, low-flying targets

84

AIM-9R Sidewinder AAM

AIM-9R SIDEWINDER AAM

The Sidewinder missile dates back to the late 1940s, when it was
first developed by the US Navy. The current model bears little
resemblance to the original other than in outward appearance. It
has gone through innumerable changes in its lifetime. The R
model has an all-aspect seeker head and improved low-smoke
rocket engine.
Weight: 87 kg
Maximum Firing Range: 18 km
Guidance System: IR homing
Primary Target: All airborne targets

AGM-122 Sidearm AGM

AGM-122 SIDEARM AGM

The Sidearm system evolved out of the need to develop a low cost,
lightweight anti-radar missile. Unused Sidewinder AIM-9Cs were
refurbished and brought up to AIM-9L/M standards, and a broadband
passive radar seeker replaced the existing seeker. It will be carried
by AV-8B Harriers, F-4G Phantom Wild Weasels, and helicopters.
Weight: 91 kg
Maximum Firing Range: 15 km
Guidance System: Passive radar homing
Primary Target: SAM & gun control radars

AGM-65D Maverick AGM

AGM-65D MAVERICK AGM

The Maverick D model entered service in 1983, and was a
natural follow-on to this very succcessful weapon. It has replaced
the earlier TV guidance system with an imaging infrared system. The IR system has a much greater range and has ability to
see through smoke and dust. Maverick is a true fire-and-forget
weapon system.
Weight: 220 kg
Maximum Firing Range: 25 km
Guidance System: IR homing
Primary Target: Heavily armored targets & fortifications

85

AGM-114A/B Hellfire AGM

AGM-114A/B HELLFIRE AGM

Hellfire is the US Armys latest anti-armor weapon system. The
A models laser seeker requires the target to be illuminated by
a laser source; however, it need not be the launching helicopter.
The B models millimeter wave radar seeker is a true fire-andforget weapon system. It will be carried by the Longbow Apache.
Weight: 43 kg
Maximum Firing Range: 6 km (A), 8 km (B)
Guidance System: semi-active laser (A), MMW Radar (B)
Primary Target: Heavily armored targets & fortifications

BGM-71D TOW-2 AGM

BGM-71D TOW-2 AGM

The TOW system has been utilized as an airborne ATGM since the
Vietnam war. It (SACLOS) uses semi-automatic command to lineof-sight guidance. All the operator need do is keep the cross-hairs
centered on the target. Commands are transmitted to the TOW via
a thin wire. The TOW-2 model has a larger, improved warhead.
Weight: 22 kg
Maximum Firing Range: 4 km
Guidance System: Command to Line-of-Sight via Wire
Primary Target: Heavily armored targets & fortifications

Helstreak HVM AGM/AAM

HELSTREAK HVM AGM/AAM

The Helstreak High Velocity Missile (HVM) system is based on the
British Starstreak SAM. Its laser guided warhead contains three
highly accurate darts that independently home in on the target.
This makes for a wide coverage pattern, which is important in the
air-to-air role. With HUMs, exposure time is reduced.
Weight: 40 kg
Maximum Firing Range: 7 km
Guidance System: semi-active laser homing
Primary Target: Medium armored ground & air targets

86

Penguin-3 Anti-Ship Missile

PENGUIN-3 ANTI-SHIP MISSILE

The Norwegian developed Penguin-3 anti-ship missiles modest
weight (as far as anti-ship missiles go) makes it ideally suited for
helicopters. The missile is aimed at a point on the surface, and it
flies there under its own inertial guidance. Then, it switches on
its IR homer, seeking out the heat of a ship against the cool ocean
background.
Weight: 380 kg
Maximum Firing Range: 40 km
Guidance System: IR homing
Primary Target: Medium & Light Ships

Hydra 70 Rocket System

HYDRA 70 ROCKET SYSTEM

The Hydra 70 rocket System (the 70 = 70mm, or 2.75 in) is a series
of rockets each with a special-purpose warhead. The M261 has a
sub-munition multipurpose warhead. The M247 has a shapedcharge warhead for use against armored targets. The M255 has
a flechette warhead for use against unarmored targets or Helicopters.
Weight: 9 kg
Maximum Firing Range: 2-3 km
Guidance System: Unguided
Primary Target: Varies by Warhead Type

87

THE GROUND & AIR UNITS

The friendlies and not so friendlies. These are the predominant vehicles, aircraft and
ships youll cross paths with throughout your missions. While youll certainly come
across many other units (e.g. trains, trucks, buildings, bridges, oil tanks and airfields),
theyre just too numerous to mention.

U.S. & ALLIED UNITS

M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank

M1A1 ABRAMS MAIN BATTLE TANK

Unquestionably the finest tank in the field today, the M1A1
entered service in 1985. It mounts the hard-hitting German
Rheinmetall 120mm smoothbore cannon (same as the German
Leopard-2) backed by a sophisticated fire control system. Later
versions have depleted uranium (DU) armor added to the turret
and hull fronts.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

M60A3 Main Battle Tank

120mm SB, 40 rds

None
three MGs
Heavy

52.6 tons
4/2
750 hp diesel
48 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

105mm, 63 rds
None
two MGs
Heavy

CHALLENGER MAIN BATTLE TANK

The British began design work on a replacement for the Chieftain
in the late 1960s. The final concept took a round-about route, as
the Challenger is essentially the Iranian Shir-2. It was designed
by the British, for, at that time, the Shah led Iran, but the
Ayatollah had a different opinion about buying tanks from the
British.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Max Speed:

88

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

M60A3 MAIN BATTLE TANK

The M60A3 lineage dates from the venerable M47s and M48s. An
earlier model, the M60A1, saw great success in the hands of the
Israelis. Its slow and tall by todays standards (not a good
combination), but still possesses reasonably good armor and
firepower. Its also fielded by Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Max Speed:

Challenger Main Battle Tank

57.2 tons
4/0
1,500 hp turbine
64 kph

62 tons
4/0
1,200 hp diesel
56 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

120mm, 64 rds
None
two MGs
Heavy

AMX-30 Main Battle Tank

AMX-30 MAIN BATTLE TANK

A French design, the AMX-30 entered production in 1966. Emphasizing the predominate European theories of the time, its design
embraces speed and firepower, as armor was considered a secondary factor. The AMX-30 is also fielded by a number of Middle
Eastern nations including Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
MG
Max Speed:

M2A1 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle

Armor:

Medium

22.6 tons
3/7
500 hp diesel
66 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

25mm, 900 rds

TOW-2, 7 rds
one MG
Light

WARRIOR MECHANIZED COMBAT VEHICLE

In the 1970s the Brits embarked on a program to develop a
mechanized combat vehicle. Somewhat austere by US standards,
the Warrior lacks long-range missile capability, and has relatively
simple fire control systems. But, its relatively inexpensive, and
quite sound mechanically. The Warrior entered service in 1987.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Max Speed:

M113A3 Armored Personnel Carrier

65 kph

M2A1 BRADLEY INFANTRY FIGHTING VEHICLE

The first Bradleys entered active service in 1983 after a protracted
developmental period; the need was first identified in 1963. Its
25mm Bushmaster chaingun (a relative of the 30mm chaingun
on the AH-64 Apache) fires highly effective depleted uranium
shells; TOW ATGMs provide the long-range hitting power.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

Warrior Mechanized Combat Vehicle

36 tons
Main Gun: 105mm, 47 rds
4/0
Missiles:
None
720 hp multi-fuel Sec Gun: one cannon, one

24.5 tons
3/7
550 hp diesel
72 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

30mm, 228 rds

None
one MG
Light

M113A3 ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIER

The prolific M113 series was originally designed in 1956, and
entered service in 1960. The A3 version entered production in
1987. The M113 is a battle-taxi, designed to only transport the
infantry into the general vicinity of the battle. Over 75,000 have
been produced. Its used by many Middle Eastern nations.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

12.1 tons
2/10
275 hp diesel
64 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

12.7mm MG
None
None
Light
89

Scorpion Reconnaissance Vehicle

SCORPION RECONNAISSANCE VEHICLE

Born out of a British study conducted in the 1950s, the Scorpion
entered British service in 1972. Its excellent cross-county performance and high speed make for the ideal recon vehicle. The
Scorpion's basic design has spawned 7 follow-on vehicles. Its
also fielded by Saudi Arabia, UAE and Oman.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Max Speed:

Scimitar Reconnaissance Vehicle

7.8 tons
3/0
190 hp petrol
81 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

30mm, 165 rds

None
one MG
Light

13.0 tons
4/0
215 hp diesel
55 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

None
TOW-2, 12 rds
one MG
Light

M163A2 PIVADS SELF-PROPELLED ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUN

The M163 entered service in 1968; the PIVADS (Product Improved
Vulcan Air Defense System) came on to the scene in 1984. The
system is an M113A1 chassis with a one-man electrically-driven
turret. The 20mm gatling gun is the same as used by Air Force
fighters. Even with its high rate of fire, its very limited.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

90

76mm, 40 rds
None
one MG
Light

M901A2 ITV ANTI-TANK VEHICLE

The ITV (Improved TOW Vehicle) entered service in 1979 as a
replacement for the M150 open-topped TOW vehicle. Its a M113A2
fitted with the Emerson M27 TOW cupola. The M27 mounts a twin
launcher, TOW guidance systems and a thermal imager. The
TOWs can be fired and reloaded from under armor.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

M163A2 PIVADS Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft

Gun

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

SCIMITAR RECONNAISSANCE VEHICLE

A descendant of the Scorpion, the Scimitar followed it into service
one year later. The two vehicles differ primarily only in their
armament. The Scimitar is intended to provide area suppressive
fire, while still having the penetrative power to engage opposing
recon and light vehicles.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Max Speed:

M901A2 ITV Anti-Tank Vehicle

8.1 tons
3/0
190 hp petrol
81 kph

12.3 tons
4/0
215 hp diesel
68 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

20mm, 2100 rds

None
None
Light

M998 Hummer Utility Vehicle

M998 HUMMER UTILITY VEHICLE

The multi-purpose Hummer entered service as a replacement
for the famous and ubiquitous Jeep (M151). The Hummer fulfills
many roles, serving as an APC, Scout, TOW platform and fire
support vehicle. To date, over 100,000 have been ordered for
various branches of the US Armed Forces.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Max Speed:

M109A3 Self-Propelled Artilley Vehicle

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

12.7mm MG
None
None
None

M109A3 SELF-PROPELLED ARTILLEY VEHICLE

The M109 concept dates back to 1952, when it was born out of a
study on self-propelled artillery. The lessons learned in WW2 and
Korea clearly spelled the ultimate demise of static artillery. The
M109 series emerged as the standard by which all other SPs are
judged. Its fielded by most NATO members and many other
nations.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Max Speed:

MRLS Rocket Launcher

2.3 tons
2/4
132 hp diesel
105 kph

24.9 tons
6/0
405 hp diesel
56 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

155mm, 36 rds
None
None
Light

MRLS ROCKET LAUNCHER

An international design/production program, the MRLS (Multiple Rocket Launch System) entered service in 1983. The vehicle
is partially based on the M2 Bradley chassis. Its primary rocket
is the M77 rocket; each warhead contains 644 dual purpose
shaped-charge fragmentation bomlets.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Max Speed:

25.2 tons
3/0
500hp diesel
64 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

None
12-227mm rockets
None
Light

91

LHA Tarawa Class Amphibious Assault Ship

LHA TARAWA CLASS AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT SHIP

The first ship of this class has been in service since 1976. The
LHAs are intended to combine the capabilities of LPH (helicopter
carriers) and LPD (amphibious docks) into one ship. Four landing
craft are carried in its deck. Its boilers are the largest ever
installed on a US ship. It has a complete 300 bed hospital.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Max Speed:

FF Knox Class Frigate

39,400 tons
1014/1924
70,000 hp
24 kts

FF KNOX CLASS FRIGATE

The Knox Class is typical of the many escort frigates built during
the 1970s. The class packs a large amount of firepower onto a
small frame. The Harpoon SSMs are fired from the forward
mounted ASROC launcher. The originally fitted Sea Sparrow SAM
system, are being replaced by the Vulcan/Phalanx 20mm system.
Weight: 4,250 tons
Crew/Pass: 275/0
Engine: 35,000 hp
Max Speed: 27+ kts

92

Main Gun: 3x127mm

Missiles:
Sea Sparrow SAM
Aircraft:
38 helicopters,
or 20 AV-8/B Harriers

Main Gun: 1x127mm

Missiles: Harpoon SSM,
ASROC anti-sub
Aircraft: 1 helicopter The Op

THE OPPOSING FORCES

T-80A Main Battle Tank

T-80A MAIN BATTLE TANK

The Soviet T-80A is thought to have entered service in 1983. It has
closer developmental ties to the T-64 then to the T-72. Its
considered to be only an evolutionary design, although the gas
turbineengine is a radical departure. The AT-8 Songster was
added to provide long range capability, as the 125mm SBs
accuracy is poor.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

T-64B Main Battle Tank

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

125mm SB, 42 rds

Songster, 2 rds
two MGs
Heavy

T-64B MAIN BATTLE TANK

The original Soviet T-64s entered service in 1967, and were
plagued with autoloader and engine problems. The B model
seems to have corrected these problems since its still in production. It appears the T-64s were the high-tech option while the T72s embodied the bargain-basement approach. The T-64 has
never been exported.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

T-72M1 Main Battle Tank

42 tons
3/0
980 hp turbine
75 kph

42 tons
3/0
750 hp diesel
75 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

125mm SB, 42 rds

Songster, 2 rds
two MGs
Heavy

T-72M1 MAIN BATTLE TANK

The Soviet T-72 followed shortly after the T-64, entering service
in 1971. The T-72 series has had a long career, and has been
exported to many nations. Over a dozen sub-models have been
identified to date. This model features enhanced turret armor,
resulting in the nickname Dolly Parton. Its also fielded by Iraq,
Syria and Kuwait.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

41 tons
3/0
780 hp diesel
80 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

125mm SB, 39 rds

None
two MGs
Heavy

93

T-62E Main Battle Tank

T-62E MAIN BATTLE TANK

The Soviet T-62 was developed from the earlier T-54/T-55 series,
and entered service in the early 1960s. It was the first tank to
mount a smoothbore gun. Its low ballistic shape was a plus, but
otherwise it was mediocre. The E model features add-on horseshoe turret armor and a laser sight.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

T-55M1 Main Battle Tank

37.0 tons
4/0
580 hp diesel
50 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

100mm, 43 rds
None
two MGs
Heavy

55 tons
4/0
750 hp multi-fuel
48 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

120mm, 64 rds
None
three MGs
Heavy

BMP-2 INFANTRY FIGHTING VEHICLE

The BMP-2 is an upgrade of the Soviet BMP-1 and probably entered
service around 1980. The poor 73mm gun was replaced with a highvelocity 30mm auto-cannon. The commander was moved from the
hull to the turret, improving labor distribution and vision. The
Sagger was replaced with the longer-ranged Spandrel.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

94

115mm SB, 40 rds

None
two MGs
Heavy

CHIEFTAIN MAIN BATTLE TANK

The UK-designed Chieftain introduced many innovations when it
appeared in 1963. It was the first tank to mount a 120mm gun,
and its highly sloped armor provided then unheard of protection.
Yet still, its slow and relatively clumsy. Iraq does field a large
force, but acquired them as war booty from Iran and Kuwait.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

BMP-2 Infantry Fighting Vehicle

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

T-55M1 MAIN BATTLE TANK

This latest version of the Soviet T-55 (the first entered service in
the late 1950s) features add-on horseshoe turret armor and a
laser sight. This is your basic no frills tank; simplicity is king
here. The T-54/T-55s are the most widely exported of all Soviet
MBTs, and is used by over 40 nations including Syria and Iraq.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

Chieftain Main Battle Tank

41.1 tons
4/0
580 hp diesel
50 kph

14.6 tons
3/7
400 hp diesel
65 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

30mm, 500 rds

Spandrel, 5 rds
one MG
Light

BMP-1 Infantry Fighting Vehicle

BMP-1 INFANTRY FIGHTING VEHICLE

The Soviet BMP-1 caused quite a stir when it entered service in
1967. This revolutionary design was the first to combine cannon,
ATGM and a full infantry squad with under armor fire capability.
Its 73mm gun has poor long range accuracy, and the one-man
turret is inefficient. Its also fielded by Egypt, Syria and Iraq.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

BTR-60/70/80 Armored Personnel Carrier

73mm SB, 40 rds

Sagger, 5 rds
one MG
Light

10.5 tons
2/12
260 hp diesel
80 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

14.5mm, 500 rds

None
one MG
Light

MT-LB ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIER

The Soviet MT-LB design closely followed the MT-L arctic tractor.
This accounts for its excellent cross-country performance. Typical roles for the MT-LB include artillery prime mover, command
post and cargo carrier. Its chassis is also the basis for a number
of other vehicles.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

EE-11 Urutu Armored Personnel Carrier

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

BTR-60/70/80 ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIER

The first version of this Soviet APC, the BTR-60, entered service
in 1960. These vehicles are rather mediocre in all respects. The
later models did overcome a number of flaws; at least the BTR-80
(data is for this vehicle) did replace the volatile petrol engines. The
BTR-60 is fielded by most of the middle eastern nations.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

MT-LB Armored Personnel Carrier

13.9 tons
3/8
300 hp diesel
70 kph

9.7 tons
2/10
240 hp diesel
62 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

7.62mm MG
None
None
Light

EE-11 URUTU ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIER

The Brazilian EE-11 first entered service in 1974. By all measures, it's a nondescript, basic everyday APC. Even its wheeled
configuration is much easier to maintain than a tracked arrangement. Like its cousin, the EE-9, it has been exported to many
nations including Iraq.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

14 tons
2/11
260 hp diesel
105 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

12.7mm MG
None
None
Light

95

BRDM-2 Reconnaissance Vehicle

BRDM-2 RECONNAISSANCE VEHICLE

The Soviet BRDM-2 replaced its predecessor, the BRDM-1, in the
mid-1960s. Its also used as a command or an observer vehicle. It
has become outclassed by more modern vehicles, and its 14.5mm
gun is outdated and inadequate. Its also fielded by most of the
middle eastern nations.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

AML-90 Reconnaissance Vehicle

5.5 tons
3/0
90 hp petrol
90 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

90mm, 20 rds
None
one MG
Light

13.4 tons
3/0
212 hp diesel
100 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

90mm, 44 rds
None
two MGs
Light

BRDM-3 ANTI-TANK VEHICLE

The Soviet BRDM/Spandrel (often called the BRDM-3) was first
seen in 1977. It has replaced the less capable BRDM - Sagger
combination in front line service. The missiles are fired from a roof
mounted launcher. Some vehicles have been seen with Spandrel/
Spigot missile combination.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

96

14.5mm, 500 rds

None
one MG
Light

EE-9 CASCAVEL RECONNAISSANCE VEHICLE

Of Brazilian design, the EE-9 entered service in 1974. It shares
many automotive components with the EE-11 APC. It now
mounts a 90mm gun; earlier models had 37mm guns from WW2
vintage US M3 Stuart tanks. Its very simple yet robust, and this
has made it a popular export. Its fielded by Iraq.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

BRDM-3 Anti-Tank Vehicle

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

AML-90 RECONNAISSANCE VEHICLE

The French ordered the construction of this light recon vehicle
after their successful use of the British Ferret scout car in North
Africa; the AML-90 entered service in 1961. Over 5,000 AMLs
have been built to date in many configurations. It's fielded by
Saudi Arabia, UAE and Iraq.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

EE-9 Cascavel Reconnaissance Vehicle

7.0 tons
2/3
140 hp petrol
100 kph

7.7 tons
3/2
140 hp petrol
100 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

None
Spandrel, 15 rds
None
Light

2S6 30mm/SA-19 Self-Propelled AA Vehicle

2S6 30MM/SA-19 SELF-PROPELLED AA VEHICLE

The Soviet 2S6 was first seen in 1986 in then East Germany. It
appears to be a very capable gun & missile system. Its four 30mm
guns, although longer, probably share ammo with the BMP-2.
The SA-19 SAMS are laser homers and probably have a range of
10 km. It has separate search and track radars and a laser ranger.
Weight:
18.0 tons
Crew/Pass: 4/0
Engine:
520 hp diesel
Speed:
60 kph

ZSU-23(4) Shilka Self-Propelled AA Gun

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

4x23mm, 2000 rds

None
None
Light

ZSU-57(2) SELF-PROPELLED AA GUN

The first post-WW2 Eastern Bloc AA system, the Soviet ZSU-57(2)
entered service in 1955. Its chassis is based on the T-54 tank, but
with much thinner armor. Its twin 57mm guns are quite effective
in a ground fire role, but have limited AA capability due to its
mechanical reflex sight. It's still fielded by Egypt, Syria and Iraq.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

SA-6 Gainful Self-Propelled SAM Vehicle

4x30mm, 2000 rds

SA-19, 8 rds
None
Light

ZSU-23(4) SHILKA SELF-PROPELLED AA GUN

The Soviet ZSU-23(4), or Zoo as it's known to Western forces,
entered service in 1966. Each 23mm gun has a rate-of-fire of
1000 rpm. Its single search/track J-band fire control radar has
a range of 20 km. Its a very effective system when employed with
missile armed systems. Its also fielded by Egypt, Syria and Iraq.
Weight:
14 tons
Crew/Pass: 4/0
Engine:
280 hp diesel
Speed:
44 kph

ZSU-57(2) Self-Propelled AA Gun

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

28.1 tons
6/0
520 hp diesel
50 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

2x57mm, 316 rds

None
None
Light

SA-6 GAINFUL SELF-PROPELLED SAM VEHICLE

The Soviet Gainful had a long and troubled development period,
finally entering service in 1967. It saw much success in the 1973
Yom Kippur War. The SA-6 missile uses semi-active radar homing
guidance. Gainful works in conjunction with the Straight-Flush
radar system. Its also fielded by Egypt, Syria and Iraq.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

14 tons
3/0
240 hp diesel
44 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

None
SA-6, 3 rds
None
Light

97

SA-13 Gopher Self-Propelled SAM Vehicle

SA-13 GOPHER SELF-PROPELLED SAM VEHICLE

The Soviet Gopher entered service in 1977. In Soviet units, it's
replacing the older Gaskin on a one-for-one basis. The SA-13
missile is very capable. It uses radar only for ranging as the
missile is an IR homer; it has a range of 8 km. The Gopher utilizes
a variant of the MT-LB chassis. Its also fielded by Syria and Iraq.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

2S1 S0-122 Self-Propelled Artillery Vehicle

16 tons
4/0
240 hp diesel
60 kph

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

122mm, 40 rds
None
one MG
Light

4.5 tons
7/0
None
Towed

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

57mm, 200 rds

None
None
None

SA-3 GOA LOW/MEDIUM ALTITUDE SAM SYSTEM

The Soviet Goa is obsolete by todays standards; it entered service
in 1961. Aircraft counter-measures have made significant
advances rendering missiles of the Goas era almost useless.
However, theres always luck. The Goa is a radar beam-rider; it
works in conjunction with the Low Blow radar system.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

98

None
SA-13, 4 rds
None
Light

S-60 ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUN

The Soviet S-60 is indicative of the many types and calibres of
towed/fixed anti-aircraft guns still in use today. While limited in
their flexibility, they are as accurate, or more accurate in some
cases, than their self-propelled counterparts. Towed guns are
fielded by many nations including most Middle Eastern nations.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

SA-3 Goa Low/Medium Altitude SAM System

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

2S1 S0-122 SELF-PROPELLED ARTILLERY VEHICLE

The Soviet Gvozdika (Carnation) entered service in 1971. Outwardly, its appearance is very similar to the US M109. The Soviets
were slow to adopt self-propelled artillery, continuing to rely on
towed weapons. SPs are less vulnerable to counter-battery fire
and provide crew protection. Its also fielded by Syria and Iraq.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Speed:

S-60 Anti-Aircraft Gun

12.5 tons
3/0
240 hp diesel
60 kph

7.0 tons
3/0
None
Towed

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Sec Gun:
Armor:

None
SA-3, 4 rds
None
None

Mi-24W Hind-E Gunship

MI-24W HIND-E GUNSHIP

The Soviet Hind first appeared in 1972. It was originally designed
as a heavily armed assault helicopter, but has evolved into a
capable gunship. It lacks the nap-of-the-earth maneuverability
of its western counterparts. Still, it carries a heavy load, and has
retained its transport capacity. Its also flown by Syria and Iraq.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Max Speed:

Mi-8TBK Hip-E Transport Helicopter

11.2 tons
2/28
two 1,700 shp
130 kts

Main Gun: 12.7mm

Missiles:
Swatter ATGM,
Rockets
Weapon Load: 3 tons

Mi-28 HAVOC GUNSHIP

Often described as the Soviet Apache, the Havoc completed preproduction testing in 1989. A true gunship, as opposed to the
Hinds hybrid approach, the Havocs narrow silhouette and
tandem seating are much more suited to its role. Its high speed
agility has also been enhanced by a new rotor structure.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Max Speed:

Ka-34 Hokum Combat Helicopter

Main Gun: 12.7mm

Missiles:
Spiral ATGM,
Rockets, SA-7 AAM
Weapon Load: 2.4 tons

Mi-8TBK HIP-E TRANSPORT HELICOPTER

When it first appeared in 1961, the Soviet Hip was a simple, quasimilitary transport helicopter. After years of modifications, the Hip
has evolved into one of the most widely accepted military helicopters
with over 10,000 in use. Its described as the most heavily armed
assault helicopter. Its flown by Egypt, Syria and Iraq.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Max Speed:

Mi-28 Havoc Gunship

12 tons
2/8
two 2,200 shp
295 kph

11.4 tons
2/0
two 2,200 shp
165 kts

Main Gun: 30mm, 300 rds

Missiles:
Spiral ATGM,
Rockets, SA-14 AAM
Weapon Load: 3 tons

Ka-34 HOKUM COMBAT HELICOPTER

By 1990, the Soviet Hokum was still in the testing stage. The exact
role of the helicopter is not yet known. Kamov (Ka) helicopters
have always been produced mainly for maritime roles. It may be
intended for amphibious assault escort or anti-helicopter combat. It has the distinctive Kamov mark of contra-rotating rotors.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Max Speed:

7.5 tons
2/0
two 2,200 shp
190 kts

Main Gun: 30mm, 300 rds

Missiles:
Spiral ATGM,
Rockets, SA-19 AAM
Weapon Load: 2.3 tons

99

SA-342 Gazelle Utility Helicopter

SA-342 GAZELLE UTILITY HELICOPTER

The French Gazelle first flew in 1967. It has been utilized in many
different roles, from recon, liaison and light attack, and many
civilian applications. A disguised Gazelle was used in the filming
of the movie Blue Thunder. It has been exported to over 41 nations
including Great Britain, Eqypt, Syria, Kuwait, Qatar and Iraq.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Max Speed:

Osa-II Class Guided Missile Patrol Boat

245 tons
30/0
15,000 hp
140 kts

Main Gun: 4x30mm

Missiles:
Styx SSM,
SA-N-5 SAM
Aircraft:
None

T-4 CLASS LANDING CRAFT

The Soviet T-4 class has been in service since 1954. Its not all
that different from the landing craft that saw action during WW2.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Max Speed:

100

Main Gun: None

Missiles:
Hot ATGM,
Rockets,SA-7 AAM
Weapon Load: 1.2 tons

OSA-II CLASS GUIDED MISSILE PATROL BOAT

A replacement for the earlier Osa-I boats, the Osa-IIs have been
in service since 1966. A favorite of many smaller or developing
nations, these boats can provide an instant navy at low cost. The
SA-N-5 SAM is the navalized verstion of the SA-7 Grail. Said to be
poor sea boats with temperamental engines.
Weight:
Crew/Pass:
Engine:
Max Speed:

T-4 Class Landing Craft

2.1 tons
2/3
one 858 shp
140 kts

70 tons
5/50
600 hp
10 kts

Main Gun:
Missiles:
Aircraft:
Load:

None
None
None
1xTank

APPENDIX
REGIONAL DEPLOYMENTS
CENTRAL EUROPE
CURRENT EVENTS

MILITARY BALANCE

This area has gone through more change, in a short period of time, than any regional
area in the twentieth-century. Ten years ago, no one could have predicted what is now
taking place.
The Germanies are reunited and the Warsaw Pact has collapsed into a quasi-political
organization; its military teeth are gone. Civil and political strife continues to escalate in
the Soviet Union; this has further de-stablized the region.
The Soviet Union is a giant teetering on the brink of civil war. The old guard
conservatives and the liberal progressives (right-wing moderates by our standards) are
each vying for control of the country. Whoever ultimately evolves as the victor will have
a far-reaching effect on the military stability of the region.
Western Europe is a very appealing target. Its consumer goods, resources, technology and labor force are hard to ignore. The Soviet Union, regardless of who wins political
supremacy, has tremendous needs and corresponding expectations. They will get the
goods one way or another.
The ex-Soviet client states are also a potential hotbed. Their new found freedom has
opened the door for secularism to again rear its ugly head. There have been clashes
between the Czechs and Slovaks, and the Baltic States are constantly at odds with their
old master.
These internal conflicts have a habit of escalating to major proportions and drawing
in other interested parties.
Even without the non-Soviet Warsaw Pact Forces, the Soviet Union can still field over
3,000,000 men just in the land forces. Equipment includes over 50,000 tanks, 70,000
IFVs and APCs, 60,000 pieces of artillery and over 4,500 helicopters. Theres no question
that a portion of the equipment is obsolete, and is no longer of first line status, even by
Soviet standards.
The Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE) is being touted by many as the
greatest peace initiative since the Treaty of Ghent of 1814. Dont be fooled by all the
rhetoric.

101

The CFE treaty calls for equal force limits in five broad categories: MBTs, AFVs,
artillery pieces, combat aircraft and armed helicopters. These categories were arbitrarily
selected because of their reference to offensive weapons. These limits affect the forces
fielded by all treaty signators (it was signed by the 22 members of NATO and the Warsaw
Pact). The immediate result of the treaty - many nations, especially the Soviet Union,
must dispose of tons of military equipment.
Heres where it gets sticky. The treaty simply allows the Soviet Union to dispose of
outdated equipment or to just hold or store it east of the Ural mountains. Only the
countries physically located in Europe must permanently dispose of their equipment.
Of course, the USA also benefits from this apparent loophole. Much of the US
equipment must be stationed outside of Europe (the Persian Gulf region, for example) or
returned to the USA. The question is, how long will it take to move it back?
GEOGRAPHY

The area boasts of some of the most fertile ground found in the world. Parts are
mountainous or heavily forested, while others are as flat and clear as the plains of
Kansas. Towns and villages dot a countryside cut by many small rivers and their
tributaries and crisscrossed by a highly developed road and rail net.

THE CONFLICT

Soviet forces cross the border into the new Germany after rescuing Poland from
Western European dominance. Economic woes and a restless, impatient populace
prompt the new conservative Soviet government to use military might to quickly solve
their problems. After all, the aggressive Western Europeans, backed by the equally
aggressive USA, have forced them to take this action to protect their borders.
As part of the US V Corps, you must stem the Soviet tide to buy time for the
mobilization of all NATO forces and the re-deployment of US forces from other regions.

PERSIAN GULF

The recent events in this region have been near and dear to all of our hearts. It
couldnt have had a better ending if it had been written as a Hollywood movie script. Still,
conflict is a way off life here.
The region has seen constant war dating back to biblical times. In addition to the
most recent UN sanctioned action, the past fifty years have witnessed constant civil wars
and changes of government (mostly bloody), five Arab - Israeli conflicts, regional clashes,
terrorism, internal genocide and a protracted war between Iran - Iraq ... not a pretty
picture when you think about it.
It remains an extremely volatile region. The coalition force that fought in Operations
Desert Storm and Sabre are held together by a thread. Countries now stand beside allies
whom they only recently fought as enemies. The smallest provocation could trigger a
conflict between these strange bedfellows. No one has forgotten the old hatreds; there was
just something else a little more pressing.
The poor Arab States hate the rich Arab States; the communist Arab States hate the
monarchies; most of the Arab States hate the Israelis and the Egyptians because they
dont hate the Israelis this year; and the Iranians generally hate Arabs because theyre
Arabs, not Persians. In addition to all this, Lebanon looks like a wasteland since just
about everyone is using it as a pin cushion to work out their differences.

CURRENT EVENTS

102

In spite of this, dont let anyone tell you different - oil is the focus. Thats not to say
that these other issues are just passing fancies. Its a matter of the have-nots wanting
what the haves have or the haves just wanting more. Economics, not politics is calling
the shots.
MILITARY BALANCE

The recent conflict has left the area in a very fluid state, to say the least. In spite of
the drubbing they took, the Iraqis still possess a large fighting force even if most of them
are now on foot. How many men remain in uniform and how much equipment is still in
Iraqi hands is unknown. They were able to save the majority of their aircraft by flying
them over the border into Iran.
To the east of Iraq is Iran; not one of our closest allies by any stretch of the
imagination. They appear to be perched like vultures; waiting to pounce on any
opportunity. They field a 750,000 man army, but modern mechanized equipment is
limited or in disrepair.
Another potential antagonist is Syria. They have never really cared for the rich
royalty of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. After all, Syria doesnt have much oil to speak of see, that oil issue again! They only went along with the coalition, not being as shortsighted
as Jordan, because they knew Iraq couldnt win. There was a lot of money to be had from
those same rich Arabs. They have a 400,000 man army, with the equipment to back them
up. While always considered a bit suspect militarily, they cant be overlooked.
With the exception of Israel and Egypt, the other Arab States field rather small forces.

GEOGRAPHY

This is a desert region, pretty much hot, flat and generally barren. The cities are
situated on the coasts, with the exception of the Tigris-Euphrates valley (the fountain of
life - a bit of irony ) that runs through most of Iraq. The topography of Iran is, however,
quite different. Its is fairly mountainous and water is plentiful.

THE CONFLICT

Still licking her wounds from the last war and bitter about the UN imposed
sanctions, Iraq allies with Iran (that was part of the plan all along) and launches a
renewed offensive into Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. They have managed to buy off Syria
who decides to sit this one out.
As part of the standing US Persian Gulf force, you must hold the line while the RDF
is staged into the region.

103

WEAPONS EFFECTIVENESS CHART

SAM Threat Characteristics
Weapon
SA-7B Grail
SA-14A Gremlin
SA-16A Goblin
SA-3B Goa
SA-6B Gainful
SA-9B Gaskin
SA-11A Gadfly
SA-13A Gopher
SA-19A

Tracking
none
none
none
radar
radar
visual
radar
radar
radar

Backup
Tracking
none
none
none
visual
none
none
none
visual
visual

Guidance
IR (C)
IR (B)
IR (B+)
radar (D)
radar (C)
IR (C+)
radar (B)
IR (B)
laser (A)

Backup
Guidance
none
none
none
visual
visual
none
visual
none
IR (A)

Use
man-portable
man-portable
man-portable
fixed battery
vehicle mounted
vehicle mounted
vehicle mounted
vehicle mounted
vehicle mounted

Notes on Use
Man-portable SAMs are utilized by infantry, carried in APCs and most light vehicles, and used to defend structures.
Guidance system effectiveness evaluates use against helicopters.
AAA Threat Characteristics
Weapon
S-60 57mm
ZU-23 23mm
ZSU-57(2)
ZSU-23(4)
2S6

Tracking
radar
visual
visual
radar
radar

Backup
Tracking
visual
visual
visual
visual
laser

Notes on Use
Effectiveness evaluates use against helicopters.

104

Eff
C
C+
D
B
A

Use
towed gun
towed gun
vehicle system
vehicle system
vehicle system

Helicopter Weapon Systems

Weapon
Max Range
30mm cannon
1,500 m
20mm cannon/pod 1,500 m
Machine-gun/pod 1,000 m
M247 rockets
2,000 m
M255 rockets
2,000 m
M261 rockets
2,000 m
TOW-2
4,000 m
Hellfire-A
6,000 m
Hellfire-B
8,000 m
Sidearm
15,000 m
Maverick
25,000 m
Penguin
40,000 m
Sidewinder
18,000 m
Stinger
5,000 m
Helstreak
7,000 m

A Targets
medium armored, unarmored, all aircraft
light armored, unarmored, all aircraft
unarmored
all armored, naval
unarmored, helicopters
medium armored, unarmored
all armored, naval
all armored, helicopters, naval
all armored, helicopters, naval
all radar sources
all armored, naval
naval
all aircraft
most aircraft
medium armored, helicopters

D Targets
heavy armored
heavy armored
armored, aircraft
unarmored
armored
heavy armored
unarmored
unarmored
unarmored
non-radar, aircraft
aircraft
land based, aircraft
land/sea based
land/sea based
heavy armored

Notes on use:
Unarmored targets include most building structures.
General Notes:
A: means weapon effectiveness (Eff) or guidance is very good.
B+, B & B-: means weapon effectiveness or guidance is good.
C+, C &C-: means weapon effectiveness or guidance is fair.
D: means weapon effectiveness or guidance is poor.

105

GLOSSARY
AA: Anti-aircraft. Guns designed to shoot down aircraft.
AAA: Anti-aircraft artillery; also referred to as triple-A. Used mostly to refer to heavy AA
guns, but is generally synonymous with AA.
AAM: Air-to-air missile.
ADF: Automatic Direction Finding. A device to home in on transmitted navigational
signals.
AFCS: Automatic flight control system. This device provides the control mechanisms for
the autopilot and auto-hover systems.
AGM: Air-to-ground missile.
AH-xx: US designation for attack helicopters. Examples are AH-64 Apache and AH-66
Comanche.
APC: Armored Personnel Carrier. A tracked or wheeled vehicle that transports an
infantry squad. Most carry machine-gun type weapons.
AFV: Armored fighting vehicle. Armored vehicle designed for front line combat.
APR-39: Lightweight digital threat warning system. Designed for use on helicopters and
light fixed-wing aircraft. Its optimized for NOE flight.
APU: Auxiliary power unit.
ATGM: Anti-tank guided missile. A powered missile guided by wire, radio, infrared or
laser transmitted commands. TOW-2 and Hellfire are ATGMs.
AUX Power Unit: Auxiliary power unit. Small on-board turbine engine use to provide
power to start the main engines.
Battalion: A military organization with two or more companies. Cavalry or helicopter
battalions are often called Squadrons. It typically has 500 to 1,500 men.
BMP-x: Bronevaya Maschina Piekhota. Soviet built IFV.
BRDM-x: Bronevaya Razvedyvatelnaya Dozornaya Maschina. Soviet built reconnaissance
vehicle.
Brigade: In the US Army, a military organization with two or more battalions. It typically
has 3,000 to 6,000 men.
BTR-xx: Bronetransportr. Soviet built wheeled APC.
CBU: Cluster bomb unit. A bomb that bursts in to many smaller bomblets; utilized to
cover a wide area.
Chaff: Radar decoy. Composed of thousands of different sized metal film strips. Produces
varying radar reflections.
CM: Counter-measures. Jammers and decoys.
CO: The commanding officer.
Collective: Helicopter flight control used to collectively change the pitch of the main rotor
blades.
Commo: Communications.

106

Company: A military organization with two or more platoons. Cavalry or helicopter

companies are often called Troops. It typically has 100 to 300 men.
CP/G: Co-pilot/gunner. The front seater in helicopters with tandem seating (rear seater
in the Comanche). The CP/G sits on the left in helicopters with side-by-side seating.
Cyclic: Helicopter flight control used to selectively change the pitch of the main rotor
blades.
Ditch: A term for crash landing.
FARP: Forward arming & refueling point. A highly mobile helicopter base; its normally
airlifted by heavy transport helicopters.
Fast Movers: Slang term for conventional jet aircraft.
Flare: A cartridge shaped source of intense heat energy. Normally launched in groups of
three cartridges each with a different heat frequency.
FLIR: Forward looking infrared. Sighting device that reads the heat signature of
objects.
FLOT: Forward line, own troops. Current designation for the line closest to the enemy.
Flying a Desk: Staff or command job with no flight duties.
GPS: Global positioning system. Satellite based navigation system.
HEAT: High explosive, anti-tank. A type of warhead designed to punch through steel
armor. Fitted on most ATGMs.
Heavy Section: Helicopter flight group composed of three helicopters.
HQ: Head Quarters.
HUD: Head-up display. A piece of glass mounted on the front of the cockpit, arranged so
the pilot can look forward through the glass. Important combat and flight information
is reflected off the HUD. The images are superimposed over the outside world; the pilot
can look through the HUD and retain the images.
ICS: Internal communication system. Used for communication within a helicopter.
IFV: Infantry fighting vehicle. A tracked vehicle that transports an infantry squad.
Usually armed with small calibre cannons.
In Constraints: Term used to describe when a weapon is within its maximum range and
target envelope.
INS: Inertial navigation system. A device that tracks a helicopters current position and
desired destinations.
IR: Infrared. A portion of the electro-magnetic spectrum where the intensity of the signal
is related to its heat signature.
ITV: Improved TOW vehicle. The current US TOW platform - the M901.
Jammer: An source of intense Infrared or radar energy used to confuse or spoof weapon
systems.
Ka-xx: Helicopters designed by the Soviet Kamov Bureau.
Klick: Slang for kilometer.
Knot: A measure of horizontal motion equal to 1.1 miles per hour.
LGB: Laser glide bomb. A bomb guided by reflected laser energy.
Light Section: Helicopter flight group composed of two helicopters.

107

LZ: Landing zone.

Mask/Unmask: Terms used to described the use of naturally occurring objects as cover.
MBT: Main battle tank. A general term for medium and heavy tanks.
MEDVAC: Medical evacuation. The transport of wounded troops.
MFD: Multi-function display.
Mi-xx: Helicopters designed by the Soviet Mil Bureau.
MiG-xx: Aircraft designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Bureau.
MPSM: Multi-purpose submunition. A type of the new Hydra 70 rocket system for
helicopters. The M261 rocket has 9 bomblets, or submunitions, each with its own
explosive charge per rocket.
MRLS: Multiple rocket launching system. The newest Western artillery rocket system.
NATO: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A mutual defense treaty that includes 16
nations. They are all European based with the exception of the United States and
Canada. NATO is important to the Central European Front, because it forms the basis
whereby US, British and Canadian forces are stationed in Germany.
OH-XX: US designation for observation helicopters. Example is OH-58D Kiowa Warrior.
Passage Point: Safe, no fire area for flight through friendly troops.
Platoon: The military organization subordinate to a company. It typically has 25 to 50
men.
Primary: The most important mission of a flight.
Pull Pitch: To quickly add collective control.
RDF: Rapid Deployment Force. A US military force composed of quick move military
formations. Its intended to be used as a timely response to hotspots around the world.
Reticle: A small circular glass positioned over the right eye. Important combat and
flight information is reflected off the reticle not unlike a HUD. The images are
superimposed over the outside world; the pilot can look in any direction and retain the
images.
S2: Battalion level intelligence officer. He finds and summarizes all information about the
enemy.
SAM: Surface-to-air-missile.
SEAD: Suppression of enemy air defenses. A term used to describe a mission to destroy
enemy air defense units.
Secondary: Targets of lesser importance than the primary.
SOP: Standard operating procedure. Doing it by the book or operating manual.
SSM: Surface to surface missile.
Su-xx: Aircraft designed by the Soviet Sukhoi Bureau.
TADS: Target acquisition and designation system. A device mounted on Apache
helicopters thats used to lock onto targets and to control the laser designator.
TF: Task Force. A battalion or squadron sized combat formation composed of mixed
combat elements.
Thermal Imager: Similar to a FLIR, but tuned to objects more than structures.
TOC: Tactical operations center. A small command tent. Usually set up in the field.

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UH-xx: US designation for utility helicopters. Example the UH-60K/L Blackhawk.

Visiononics: A collective term to describe all helicopter mounted sighting devices.
VOR: VHF omni-directional range. A radio beacon used for navigation.
Warsaw Pact: Formed as a counter to NATO, it was originally composed of 7 Eastern
European nations. It was purely a military organization dominated by the Soviet
Union. It has now dissolved into a loose political group.
Waypoint: An interim navigation point used in conjunction with the INS.
Weapons Free: A term to describe full freedom to utilize weapons against targets.

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DESIGNERS NOTES
THE PLAN

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It was a bit scary when MicroProsess President, Bill Stealey, originally proposed a
sequel to the highly successful Gunship. The first thought that came to mind was, how
could we possibly ever top that product?
After the smelling salts were passed around, we started to kick around a few ideas.
That really got the creative juices flowing, and it started to seem like a great idea - we now
wished we had suggested it first.
We knew that the new simulator had to be much broader in scope than the original.
It would have to include most of the neat helicopters that the Army (sorry Marines, well
give you equal time in a later scenario) currently have in their inventory, plus the ones
that are still on the drawing board. This futuristic perspective is where the 2000 in the title
comes from.
We were lucky in one respect. Early on, we guessed that the Army would select the
Boeing/Sikorsky version of the LHX, now designated the AH-66A Comanche. We knew
if we went in that direction, we were committed, since the Army wasnt going to make its final
selection until April of 1991. You know what they always say - I would rather be lucky than
good.
We also wanted to expand into the operational components of multi-helicopter
command. Not that flying a single helicopter cant be fun (after all, we did retain that
capability), its just that theres more to helicopter operations.
We tried to go to extremes to capture the realism of helicopter combat. Real action
doesnt take place at 2,000 feet. It happens right next to the ground. You feel like youre
going to suck the leaves off the trees as you fly by. This is why Gunship 2000 is the way
that it is. We wanted you right next to the ground, weaving in and out of the canyons and
between the hills just like the real pilots.
We made the bad guys act like bad guys, to a point - we still wanted you to have
fun. After all, this is supposed to be fun, not work. We only took a few liberties with the
realism.
The selection of the Persian Gulf was made, believe it or not, long before the actual
conflict erupted in the region. Its not that we have a corner on crystal balls; the region
has been a hotbed for years. It was really a pretty easy call. Its lucky the real thing worked
out as well as it did. We never intended to capitalized on the conflict; were happy to
strictly deal in simulating the actions.
The selection of Central Europe as the other theater was not an attempt at any
political statement, or a prediction of impending doom and gloom. Its just that the US
has a large standing force in the region, in spite of the forces transferred to the Persian
Gulf. Since Gunship 2000 is a simulation, were simulating what could happen IF, and
only IF, a war did break out. The terrain found in the region also gave us the chance to
show off Gunship 2000s new 3-D system.

THE TEAM

Many people contributed to the making of Gunship 2000; I apologize to those not
specifically mention. It was a team effort, and we had a great team!
Early on, we realized that we certainly couldnt utilized the 3-D system from the
original Gunship and the 3-D system used in our other 3-D products, such as F-19 and
F-15II, didnt provide a low level view of the terrain. We just had to design a new system.
This is where Darrell Dennies worked his magic. Darrell started on the system, now
dubbed Topographical 3-D, back in February of 1990. He developed an entirely new
concept to emphasize and accent the terrain where helicopters operate. The results of his
efforts speak for themselves. The worlds are rich in color and depth of detail. The terrain
features arent just painted on the ground, they actually fit into one another as they do
in real life. You can actually look through the railroad tunnel to the other side! The terrain
also includes fills and fancy patterns on the ground and even the trees. In the campaign
game, the structures destroyed in previous missions are still destroyed when you find
them again; the train even moves along the railroad tracks. This system is the most
complex 3-D model yet developed by MicroProse; its probably superior to anything youve
seen.
Darrell also programmed all of the flight related functions. He never ceased to
amaze us all. One moment there could be a problem with a function or feature, and before
you could bat an eye, Darrell had it corrected or added to the game. There wasnt anything
Darrell couldnt fix or, some how, squeeze into the program.
The mission generation system was developed, and for the most part designed, by
Detmar Peterke. He had the patience and insight to interpret my obscure concepts into
something that would work. It wasnt easy coming up with a system that would generate
challenging missions that could still be fun. He developed the action area system thats
used for selecting options. Detmar, with the help of Dave McKibbin, also tweaked all of
the nifty animations into the game.
Detmar applied an artists eye to his programming; this touch is reflected in the
look of the games starting and ending sequences. Its not often that you find this rare
combination of talents.
Speaking of art, we couldnt have been more fortunate than to have Mike Reis as a
member of the team. He spent many long, tiring hours designing and drawing all of the
terrific art. The screens arent just scanned images or touch ups of other peoples art,
theyre original and hand drawn. His art has the look of real live imagery; you get the
feeling that youre standing in the room or sitting in the tent. Thats a lot of pixels and
colors to worry about!
I know Mike often wanted to say not you again whenever we walked into his office
with another change or idea, but he put up with us constantly critiquing or suggesting
changes to the art. Its a good thing hes not thinned skinned; he probably would have
skinned us many times over - and deservedly so.

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I would be remiss in not thanking Max Remington for his terrific 3-D objects. He
outdid himself again! Max is known as the machine around these parts. Whatever you
ask for, he produces, no matter how complex or obscure. The helicopters in Gunship 2000
are the most complex objects weve ever included in a simulation; and, its not like he had
the luxury of working in an environment of unlimited capacity - he still had to make it
fit.
Jeff Briggs wrote all of the music that you hear during the game. He did a great job
in capturing and setting the mood of the game. He had to write them all as original
compositions, and had to try to make them fit within the presentation of the game. This
wasnt an easy task. In many cases he had only concepts to work from.
Ken Lagace along with Jim McConkey and Scott Patterson produced all of the games
sound effects. If youre lucky enough to have a Roland or AdLib sound card, you can
experience the exciting sounds of helicopter flight and combat.
Iris Idokogi and her staff of thousands (just kidding, the printed material looks so
good, you would think it really took that many people to develop it) are to thank for the
printed material. Theyre the group that usually gets the least amount of time. We
designers always try to wait until the last minute to finish writing the manual.
Fortunately, Iris is persistent, and she doesnt let us get away with too much.
I tip my hat to the quality assurance folks; they have the toughest row to hoe. They
are tasked with finding all of the things that dont work. No one is ever happy to see or
hear from them, but their job is a key part of the process. Al Roireau and the gang did
a great job in keeping all of us honest.
After all that, it leaves the design element of the game - thats me. I did what all
designers do at MicroProse - research & develop the scope and flow of the game, and
basically annoy everyone else. I also wrote the documentation, with the help of Sean
Gallagher, and developed all of the charts, tables and miscellaneous text.
One part of the game I really enjoyed doing, at least I thought so when I started it,
was designing the terrain and layouts for the 6 worlds in Gunship 2000. Darrell developed
a number of tools specifically for this portion of the game that made my life easier. About
150 unique tiles were created for the worlds. Each world has over 4,000 tiles that are
linked together to make the terrain look uniform. I started to dream about these tiles; I
was smart enough not to tell my wife that she had been displaced in my dreams.
The whole idea behind the game was to capture the essence of helicopter combat,
and to present it in an enjoyable, entertaining format. I believe we were successful. Only
you can truly judge the results.
Jim Day
July, 1991

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